


Giving Truth to The Lie (Old Version)

by lucidhalos



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Assistant Darcy Lewis, Awesome Darcy Lewis, Brotherly Bonding, Butchering of Norse Mythology, F/M, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki Feels, Loki of Sassgard, Marvel Norse Lore, Odin's A+ Parenting, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Thor: The Dark World, Protective Thor, Slow Burn, Thor Is Not Stupid, Warning: Loki, tasertricks - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2018-05-18 18:11:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5938105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucidhalos/pseuds/lucidhalos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <span class="small">**this version is no longer being updated**</span>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Set after the events of **Thor: The Dark World**.  Partially AU._  
> This is not beta’d. Any mistakes are my own. ** Revised March 2017 **

* * *

Odin gazed down at the mighty Mjölnir as Thor sank down onto one knee and bowed his head. The action was a token of humility and forgiveness, for his son had gone against his word and went into battle. Yet, as humbling as the gesture was his actions were not only because he sought forgiveness. He wanted to severe his rights to the throne and that left the Aesir king’s blood boiling. He stared down at his son’s golden head, nostrils flaring.

“What is this I’m hearing? You disappoint me, Odinson. I entrust you with the greatest honor in all the nine realms and you want to forfeit it all for a mere mortal woman,” the old Asgardian stated, his one good eye scrutinizing him. His son had returned from Midgard with the fresh stains on his armor from the battle with the dark elves. He was the very vision of a perfect warrior and king. He had done well, even if he had gone behind his back to do so. However, that victory was now ruined by his wishes to return to Earth to live there. This filled Odin with great displeasure, for he had no heir if Thor rejected his legacy.

“Jane is not just any mere mortal woman,” Thor stated, as he straightened his posture with certainty, “she is the one I love. She does not know what I came here to say. Now forbid me to see her, or say she can rule at my side. It changes nothing.”

The All-Father stood at those words, slamming the blunt end of Gungnir down angrily against the floor. “It changes everything!” he shouted, “Indeed, I do forbid you—only you alone can take this throne. You are the next king. You cannot just walk away from Asgard lured by the sweetness of a Midgardian!”

It was not only the rejection that hurt him, but if Thor were to leave for Midgard he would have no one else by his side, now that his dear wife was no longer with him. His expression twisted as he chose to cover his hurt with anger. He was angry that Thor was choosing to disrespect his lineage and toss aside his given destiny. 

“I will still protect Asgard and all the realms with my last and every breath, but I cannot do so from that chair!” the blonde warrior protested, pausing only to will his temper down to a simmer, “I’d rather be a good man than a great king.” 

His words were utterly humble and he would be proud if it were not for the circumstances surrounding it. His reasoning for abandoning the throne sickened and angered him. How dare he return soiling victory with such shame!

“ _Foolish boy_ ,” Odin spat furiously, fingers tightening around his weapon with ache, “You commit treason and then you claim to be a good man? What nonsense am I hearing? Is this my legacy?” 

Thor’s sapphire eyes steeled at his words, jaw clenching. He swallowed back the ache he had begun feeling before speaking with clarity. It seemed he would have to deliver the ill news of Loki’s demise now. “Nonsense? What nonsense is, is that Loki for all his grave imbalances understood rule as I know I never will. He died with honor and I shall try to live the same—is that not legacy enough?”

Odin was nearly floored by the foolishness spewing from his son’s mouth. It was evident that no one had informed Thor what had transpired in Asgard during his absence. The All-Father felt his chest tighten at the recollection. His expression may have been incomprehensible, but he could do nothing to mask the hurt in his voice. Thor would learn that Loki was still alive and still as devious as he they believed him to have become. The trickster had almost killed him—all this madness over a throne.

“Died with honor?” he mocked, his voice beginning to rise. “ _Legacy_? That cunning snake still lives and his legacy is to remain in the prisons of Asgard!” 

As Odin had perceived, Thor's expression dropped at the news. He had no idea.

“What…?” Thor muttered, before stumbling a step back with shock. He stared incredulously at the All-Father, shaking his head in denial. "You must be mistaken! I witnessed him die with my very own eyes. He did in my arms!" 

Odin frowned. He was finally beginning to piece together some idea of how Loki may have snuck back into Asgard. He may not understand how Loki could have faked his death, but he had. It was clear that he had earned the title of a trickster if he was able to fake such a convincible death.

The great king shook his head. "It must have all been an illusion. After all, he always had had a talent for it," Odin claimed with an unpleasant tone, as he sank back down onto his throne, "He returned to Asgard with intentions to end my life. It was fortunate that he hesitated, for that cost him his opportunity."

At the mention of his attempted murder, Thor finally noted how worn his father was. It was evident that he was exerting himself just speaking with him. While Loki may not have killed the king, whatever he had done left him even weaker. Odin may have been putting on a convincible mask for the most part, but it was obvious now that he was strung out. The All-Father was breathing too shallow and his grip on the spear was far too tight with strain. He was desperately trying to hide his pain with an authoritarian demeanor, but it was clear that he was not okay. If he continued in such a state, it would not be long until he succumbed to Odinsleep.

But who would rule during his slumber? Thor had no desire for the throne he had once been sworn, and he certainly did not want to be forced into the seat. That would mean he would have to break his promise to beloved Jane, and he did not want to do that again.

However, his guilt washed over him like a slowly rising tide. While he wanted to live out the rest of Jane’s days with her, he did not want to do so at the cost of Asgard. He ground his teeth. Loki had been the one to point out how frail his love's morality was. He may have been angry at such a claim, but his brother had been right and as such he wanted to spend the time with her. But it seemed no matter what decision he made it would end unfairly. 

He clenched his fists as his guilt warped into growing anger. He still could not believe that Loki would stoop to such a degree. Loki may have murdered many, but Thor never thought he would ever attempt to take the life of the very man who had raised them. It seemed unthinkable. He certainly had the opportunity in the past, but had never acted upon it. What happened to his brother? Had the Chitauri truly destroyed the last bit of his integrity?

His expression grew somber. It was evident that Loki was no longer capable of becoming the brother he once knew and loved. He looked down, teeth gritting at the realization as his eyes moistened with unshed tears. He had held out hope for his brother, but it was evident that hope was completely lost. He clenched and unclenched his fist, before pushing his next words out.

“He should be executed.”

The pain and anger behind those words gripped at Odin's own heavy heart. Thor had always stood alongside Loki, even when his younger son had begun going down a darker path. Yet, it was evident now that Thor had given up. It was agonizing to see his eldest son finally surrendering the last bit of hope he had held onto.

Unfortunately, as much as he wished to cast his adoptive son aside, he could not. The boy reminded him too much of Frigga, especially now with her absence. She would not want him dead and it was because of that that he was not executed for his actions.

At least, that is what he had convinced himself.

He may have criticized him openly, but it was partially his fault. He still mourned in private at his own failure as a parent. The All-Father averted his gaze with a deep a sigh. "He will be paying for his crimes in due time, but not through death," his voice dropped to a sullen timbre, "but, I can no longer call him my son."

Where had he gone wrong? Perhaps he should have listened to his dear wife and told the truth to Loki long ago. Would he not have gone down this path of destruction had he known sooner? If Odin could have foreseen this turnabout, then he may have been able to stop it—maybe then, he could have prevented Loki from turning into the villain he was now. Despite all their indifferences, he was his son even if he may say otherwise. With a heavy sigh, he closed his one good eye and rested his head against the back of the throne.

“Where is he?” Thor’s voice broke the silence, his tone laced with conviction.

Odin opened his eye and peered at his son with acknowledgment. “In his cell.”

The god of thunder bowed his head respectfully. "Forgive me father, but I will return to discuss matters with you later. I must see Loki with my very own eyes."

He turned briskly away before anything could change his mind. However, Odin had nothing more to say to him. He listened to his son march down the hall and out to the corridor. The king knew what Thor was planning, but did nothing to stop him. His gaze remained glued on the forgotten hammer.

He waits, expecting to see Thor return for Mjölnir, but nothing more than silence was his company. His expression darkened as the cogs in his head began to turn. His son was a fool. He ground his teeth before he summoned for a guard.

The decision had been made. 

An Einherjar appeared shortly, sinking into a low bow before his liege. Odin motioned for him to rise as he made his way carefully down the throne’s steps. His face remained expressionless as he came to a stop in front the elite guard. A hand grasped the soldier's shoulder, as he leaned over to mutter something to him in a low voice.

He pulled away, staring at the guard who bowed his head before quickly leaving the chambers. Odin turned, gingerly picking up Mjölnir before returning to his seat. He closed his eyes, letting his fingers fondly trace over the runes engraved on the stone. This hammer may believe Thor to be worthy, but Odin believed otherwise. His son was being reckless and during a crucial time of need—Asgard needed him. But was he doing the right thing?

The All-Father sighed, sinking deeply into his throne once again. He cradled his face with one hand as he mumbled gravely.

“Frigga, forgive me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really shouldn’t be starting another story, but this one has been scratching at my brain long enough.
> 
> If the whole chat between Thor and Odin sounded familiar, it is because I took parts of it from **_Thor: Dark World_**. I decided to splice the crap out of it, in hopes of trying to maintain some level of canon-ness. I plan on incorporating elements from the movie, such as the title of this story. The quote is from Loki based off his conversation with Frigga about his father.
> 
> Anyway, I will be crediting in my notes whenever I do that. I hope this was an enjoyable read; the next chapter following this should be up shortly. I have it done but must first go back and proofread it.
> 
> On a final note, I will be occasionally adding bits of information with links to source material. They will be about the likes of Marvel and Norse related mythology and tales. This is because I plan on weaving the comics, the cinematic universe, and mythology together as I see fit. There will also be notes about any original characters that come along, but don’t expect too many of those. If there are questions about anything else I mention, just ask and I will provide you with an answer.
> 
> Feedback is highly appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Set after the events of **Thor: The Dark World**.  Partially AU._  
> This is not beta’d. Any mistakes are my own. ** Revised March 2017 **

* * *

Thor did not know what to expect as he marched into the prisons. The dungeons had never been a warm place. It was nothing more than a maze of cells filled with criminals of varying degrees. The place was usually quiet considering only a pair of guards to by the entrance. It seemed, however, much different now. Too many of the cells were now laying vacant, but the dark elven soldier Kurse was to blame. The creature had slain many prisoners during his outbreak. Those spared from his onslaught seemed horrified and keen on remaining quiet.

But, the god of thunder was not here for them. He had business with a certain someone. Loki had attempted to take the life of his father and for that, he would not go unchecked. It hurt him. He had already lost one parent, and yet, his brother had been ready to take the life of the other. 

He stopped in front of the young prince's cell. Thor cast his view over his relaxing brother as his nostrils flared from his bustling anger. How can he sit there so nonchalant?

Loki could feel his eyes on him the moment he stepped into view, and he paused from his readings to glance up at him. The mischief-maker closed the book, tilting his head as a smile stretched across his lips. It was a cruel, mocking smile that bore the top half of his white teeth at him. And oh, how Thor wished this barrier wasn’t here to stop him from knocking them down his throat.  


“Ah, Odinson has returned,” his eyes raked over Thor’s form with calculation. “Aren’t you quite the vision? Have you come to give me your blessings, oh _mighty_ god of thunder?”

Loki's voice was laced in false sweetness and covered with a heavy dose of bitter contempt. There was no doubt the latter was a result of being locked up in his cell once again. However, he had known the moment he set foot inside this prison that Thor would surely come to pay him a visit. That was just how his adoptive brother operated. His lip curled with scorn as he eyed him. He could clearly see Thor’s hardened expression and he knew he was trying to get ahold of his rising temper. He was doing his best to keep his simmering anger at bay, but his white knuckles spoke the truth.

The trickster let his eyes wander across his brother’s armor. It was inevitable that he would fight Malekith and win. The dark elf, while powerful, had a foolish goal. Loki didn’t see the need to crawl back to assist the older prince, considering Thor was more than enough for the elf. He was, after all, hailed as an almighty and powerful warrior. His visage even now was radiant and gleaming, even with dirt and blood smeared across his armor.

In comparison to the beaming god, Loki looked naked. The guards had stripped him of his armor and taken away his daggers shortly before his incarceration. The clothes on his back had been all that remained. He now looked nothing like the prince he was—but, that was not what really bothered him. What did was the revisions that had been implemented on the cell. The enchantments they had added constricted his magic to almost unusable levels. It was absolutely crippling and he had no desire to exert what little seidr he had remaining now.

But, that may prove to be problematic if Thor lingered for too long.

“ _Loki_ ,” Thor grounded as he stepped closer to the barrier. Loki looked at him boredly, before waltzing over towards the barrier. He stopped in front of Thor and crossed his arms before leaning forward so that he is almost nose-to-nose with the thunder god. It would be best to remain calm and provoke the warrior enough to leave him be.

“May I help you?” he muttered coolly. He knew that his brother had many questions for him. Judging by the seething tone behind his voice, he had found out what had happened while he was away in Midgard. It probably didn’t help that he had also duped him into believing that he had died back on Svartalfheim either.

The Asgardian reeled at him. “You trickster! I know that you have become a treacherous bastard, but you have never stooped _this low_ ,” he hissed vehemently, pounding his fist once against the barrier in emphasis, “what in the world has compelled you to _try_ and kill our father?”

The dark-haired god flinched as the word struck out to him. Thor's anger unfazed him, but hearing him point out his attempt stung. He felt bile rise in his throat at the reminder of his lost truth and he swallowed it back at once. Yes, he had tried to kill the All-Father and that was on him, but the king was no father to him. He steeled his expression before turning his back to him.

He challenged him. “Why not?”

Thor remained mute in response, his breathing growing strained with anguish and rage. Loki waited for him to reel and roar back at him, but there was nothing but eerie silence. His lip curled smugly, as he drew away and headed back toward his seat on the floor. He was done speaking to the warrior prince. 

However, before he could sink down onto the ground he hears Thor cry out for a guard to come over to let him inside of the cell. He froze and glanced over his shoulder. An expression of dread flashed across his features, but he quickly shook it off. There was no way they would allow him in here. They could not possibly allow the heir to Asgard to be so close to the same man who had almost slain their king hours ago.

But, he was mistaken as he watched the guard open a hole through the barricade. Loki nearly swallowed his own tongue when he saw Thor stepping inside the cell. It had been different goading his adoptive brother through a wall, but there was no escape for him now. The barrier closed back up behind Thor as the guard walked away from the cell without a single word.

The trickster sniffed and crossed his arms, turning his full attention to his livid visitor. There was no use trying to play nice anymore. His body stiffened as he held back his discomfort and replaced it with a mask of disdain. He wanted him gone. Thor stood quietly where he had entered, his eyes locked onto the trickster a few feet away. The only thing standing between them now was a small, crooked table. Loki did not dare move as he watched Thor’s eyes dart away from him and examine his surroundings.

The warrior was surprised to find that the wreckage that Loki had left behind was no more. The only reminder of what had transpired was nothing more than the stained white walls, seeing as most of the furniture had been either reassembled crudely or disposed of completely. The room now looked even more barren without all the luxuries that Frigga had once provided to her youngest son.

Loki held out his arm in a showcasing manner as he motioned to his surroundings, “As you can see, I wasn’t expecting any company.”

“I am not here to make pleasantries.”

The god of mischief snorted at that, but before he could say anything else Thor had knocked the small table aside and grabbed the collar of his shirt in one swift motion. He glowered at his younger brother, the mirth in his blue eyes no longer there. “I do not jest. Why did you fabricate your death?”

Loki closed his eyes and made no motion to pull away from the grip he was placed in. There was no point in trying to avoid any questions, especially when there was nowhere to escape. He licked his chapped lips as he mulled over his response. It was time for his infamous silvertongue to be put to work. He opened his eyes briefly, his expression turning scornful as he stared back.

“You claim to have mourned for me before. I simply wished to see it for myself.”

That was not a response that Thor was happy to hear. He slammed his brother against the wall, causing Loki to make a disgruntled noise at the back of his throat. His head slapped against the hard surface with a thud, but he dared not to vocalize his discomfort. His older brother had never been gentle when it came to their physical quarrels and he was certainly in a very sour mood now. 

Thor stilled, tightening his grip on Loki’s collar and resisting the urge to bash his fist into that face. At least not until he got some answers. “And our father?” 

“ _Your father_ ,” Loki corrected fervidly, “is merely in the way of the throne.”

“So, you attempt to take his life?”

“And yet he lives another day and I’m back to this,” Loki motioned to his surroundings with the tilt of his head. The Asgardian hero pressed the trickster further into the wall as his fists tightening, twisting the fabric under it.

“You failed, just as you always have,” Thor claimed boldly, causing Loki’s composure to break as his mouth twisted into a snarl. It was unlike Thor to use such words against him, but it certainly had struck a nerve. Instinctively, he threw a blast of magic at him. Those words had stung to hear, but he could not take back his actions.

Thor stumbled back in surprise, shoving his younger brother in reaction. He eyed the newly acquired singed spot on his breastplate before turning his gaze to his brother. He looked up at Loki who stood unhinged, his hair wild from the sudden whiplash. He was poised to strike once more, but this time, Thor stood ready to strike back. The warrior prince had instinctively reached for Mjölnir, only to realize that he had left behind it behind in the throne room. He inwardly cursed, but it mattered not. He had always bested his little brother in the art of hand-to-hand combat.

“You _spineless_ fiend,” Thor spat as he threw a punch at Loki. The trickster held up his arms in defense, absorbing the hit with his forearms. His teeth gnashed with the force of each blow, but he could do nothing more now. It was difficult to do much else when one was trying to lessen the pain. It had been foolish on his behalf to have let Thor get to him like that. In his anger, he had attacked, but he was not properly equipped to face off against him in his condition. While he had faked his death, the sword had truly wounded him and quite fatally too. He would not be able to just stand here and take blow after blow for much longer.

Loki teleported to the other side of the room, causing Thor’s fist to slam into the wall that stood behind him. The wall splintered and cracked from the sheer force and the young prince was relieved to have dodged it. The distance he placed between them provided him with momentary safety, but it would not last long when he had nowhere to run.

The rugged hero breathed heavily, blowing his hair out of his eyes before he turned to face his brother. “Always resorting to your bag of tricks. Fight me, coward!”

The mischief-maker ground his teeth in response, desperately trying not to let those words stir his temper. Thor seemed to have forgotten that it had always been his bag of tricks that had saved them in bad situations. He quickly cast duplicates of himself, causing the god of thunder to stare between them wildly as he attempted to identify the real one. Thor roared and charged through each one by one until he finally nailed the real Loki with a bulky arm. The trickster immediately fell to the floor, cradling his gut as Thor looked down upon him with dissipating anger.

Loki breathed deeply through his nose, not daring to even throw a glance back at his adoptive brother. He didn’t have to when he could feel those blue eyes glued to his stomach. Thor had been quick to notice the dampening cloth—clear evidence that the injury that he had sustained from Kurse had not been a lie. Thor’s expression softened as he cast a look of pity down at the disowned prince.

When Loki finally dared to look up and noticed the look he was given, he grew angry. The god of mischief’s jaw clenched from both disdain and discomfort. “ _Don’t_ ,” he managed to grind out.

While he was grateful that the Asgardian was no longer flailing his fists at him, a part of him urged for that wrath to return. It certainly was much more preferred over the sympathetic glance that he was being given now. He had screwed up and became passive much too late. He had been in no condition to be in a fight, let alone against someone like Thor. His magic was severely hindered and he had no weapon to use in defense.

Thor said nothing in response. He threw his cape behind him as he carefully sank down into the only seat in the cell. The small stool creaked under his weight as a hand raked across his face. Loki took that moment to finally sit up from the floor, still clutching his stomach.

“Are we feeling better?” he asked irritably. The sound of his voice sounded distance as he looked away from the blonde-haired prince.

“I still do not understand why,” Thor muttered solemnly.

“What is there to understand? I simply wanted the throne.”

The god of thunder stared suspiciously at Loki. He could not believe that someone like him had turned into someone so wrathful over something so trifle. Loki was the son who wanted the throne too much and Thor merely wished to return to Midgard to be with Jane. He did not wish to rule Asgard, but that did not mean he wanted to abandon it either. He would still be the protector of the nine realms—but he would be able to it much better as an Avenger, rather than as a king. 

His father could not understand that. He did not approve of his wish to return to Earth and now it did not help that his father’s condition seemed to be worsening as well. It would be too soon for him to fall back into Odinsleep once more. His mother’s death had taken a tiring toll on the family. And on top of it all, the dark elves had destroyed much of Asgard during the invasion. The kingdom needed a king now more than ever—but they needed Odin, not him.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his beard. “Father is ill.” 

Loki said nothing to that, not even a witty remark. Instead, his eyes cast toward the back wall. He knew Odin was weak. He could blame the king either, for he was old and had just recently lost his queen—which was why it made sense that someone had to step up now more than ever to take the throne. But it must be him, for Thor was incapable of mending a kingdom. His brother only knew of war and destruction.

Not only that, but the god of thunder was incapable of ruling Asgard when his heart laid elsewhere. He knew the effect the mortal had on him and it sickened him. Odin is a fool to believe his son is the rightful heir.

The All-Father had been sick for a long time and only holding up appearances for the sake of his kingdom. Loki had every intention to help end his suffering, but he failed. When it came to driving his dagger through that bastard’s heart, he had hesitated. He could not will himself to do it. He had failed to deliver that finishing blow. And as much as he told himself repeatedly that he loathed the man, his heart would not allow him to take that life. It drove him absolutely mad. He clenched his jaw and refused to look at Thor. He did not wish to see that look of pity once more.

Instead, he studied the hole left in the wall. That blow had been meant for him. When his brother was unhinged and blinded by rage, he was certainly capable of destruction. It was surprising. His brother had become so soft these past few months due to the Midgardians he associated with—so it was shocking to know that his temperament was so volatile. 

He had briefly underestimated him. Perhaps, it was he who was growing too soft.

The chair scuffed at the floor as Thor silently stood and walked toward the barricade. He glanced down the hall and motioned for a guard to release him. He was done speaking to Loki. There was no point in trying to talk to someone who could not see the error of his ways. He had pressing matters to tend to and a promise to keep. 

The Einherjar threw a glance at Thor but made no movement to let him out. Instead, the soldiers all squared their shoulders and resumed formation. The warrior prince frowned and motioned for them once more, but they simply continued to ignore him.

Loki sensed something amiss and turned his attention back to Thor. His green eyes narrowed as he slowly rose to full height and carefully stepped towards the wall himself. What in the nine realms was going on?

Thor did not seem to notice or care for Loki’s presence as he pounded his fist against the barrier. Perhaps they did not understand him? It took the ruckus for a guard to finally dare to approach him and he looked upon the annoyed god with an impassive gaze. The soldier paid no effort to let the elder prince out. This did nothing to settle the rising confusion.

Thor narrowed his eyes. “What is the meaning of this?”

“The All-Father has issued for your arrest,” the Einherjar clarified, “By his decree, you shall remain in this cell until further notice.”

Thor’s expression dropped for a moment before his face contorted with disbelief and rage. How could his father do such a thing? He did not want to believe that Odin would stoop low enough to lock him away to prevent him from leaving the throne. It seemed almost childish that his father would imprison him due to his desire to be on Midgard.

“What nonsense is this? As prince of Asgard, I command thee to release me at once!”

The guard said nothing more and turned away, leaving a very angry Thor to pound his fists against the glittering barricade. The wall flashed with each hit, but not even the thunder god could tear down something so heavily soaked with magic.

Loki calmly grasped his hands behind his back and watched his brother furiously beat the wall without pause. It was useless, but he was not going to be the one to tell him otherwise. Instead, his emerald eyes twinkled with unvoiced amusement. This had been very unexpected and very unlike Odin. The king of Asgard certainly was touchy as of late, especially if it meant that he would lock his own heir in a cell with him. He could only assume something serious had transpired between the two—of course, it would end unfavorably for his brother.

“It seems I’m not the only one with a talent for displeasing the All-Father.”

Those words caused Thor to finally pause and look upon his brother. He wasn’t even sure if he should even call Loki that anymore, considering everything that he had done. Loki’s bag of tricks was as endless as his rising anger about the situation at hand. However, none of this was said out loud in rebuttal.

Instead, he chose to _finally_ punch Loki in the face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can see whom the boys get their temper from. I do have to say that it’s a lot of fun to write Loki and Thor bantering. The two of them are going to be sharing a lot of screen time for a while, so get cozy. They have a lot to catch up on.
> 
>   * **Seidr –** ( _pronounced say-der_ ) – “cord, string, snare” – is a form of pre-Christian Norse magic and shamanism. [[source](http://norse-mythology.org/concepts/seidr/)] It was a type of sorcery which was practiced in Norse society during the Late Scandinavian Iron Age. Seidr practitioners were of both genders, although females are more widely attested. [[source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sei%C3%B0r)]
>
>> _My take on this is that seidr is the very essence in which someone like Loki draws his powers from. It is a part of every magical creature or being. It takes some time to replenish and the amount they have relies on the skill of the magical user. The amount they use and the amount they possess depends on their skill level—someone like Loki would have a lot and use a little (with exceptions to harder spells), due to the fact that he is very in tune with his magic. He’s had over a century to learn, so naturally, he is talented with it. ___
> 
> 



	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Set after the events of **Thor: The Dark World**.  Partially AU._  
> This is not beta’d. Any mistakes are my own. ** Revised March 2017 **

* * *

Loki flinched as he gingerly touched his nose. The bleeding had stopped as quickly as it had begun, but he hadn’t really felt any pain. No, he felt nothing but annoyance about the situation. He may have deserved it for several reasons, but nonetheless, he was getting quite sick of the blatant abuse. Had he not suffered enough? 

He scowled and rested his back against the headboard of his bed. Thor had staked his claim on the stool he had occupied earlier, choosing to shift it closer to the wall. It was as if he was trying to will it open with a glare, but if only it were that simple. If it had been, Loki would have been out of here a long time ago. The two of them had been sitting in silence for quite a while—one brother sat openly brooding and the other silently irritated. It was nothing new when compared to the eternal silence that Loki dealt with ever since he had been thrown back in here. It was beginning to get quite boring.

The god of mischief cleared his throat, “Do I dare ask what you did?”

“No.” 

Loki clicked his tongue. That had been a bit too quick of a response. He threw his long legs off the bed and strode over toward the magical wall. If Thor would not move, then he would. He saw his brother’s shoulders tense at the sound of his approach, but that did nothing to deter him. Loki stopped next to him, slowly bending at the waist and sticking his head right next to Thor’s so they were almost cheek-to-cheek. He followed his gaze, glancing at whatever the blonde was so heavily focused upon. The trickster was not surprised to find that he was staring the soldiers down.

“You’re not going to get their attention just by looking at them.”

“I like you better when you’re not talking,” Thor answered gruffly, shifting in his seat and putting a little distance between the two. He briefly glanced at Loki, before returning his attention back to the guards. The trickster rolled his eyes in response, before carefully sinking to the floor and sitting down next to the god of thunder. The Aesir stiffened once more, casting a look of wariness at his criminal brother. He didn’t need to be told to know that the dark-haired prince was up to no good.

But Loki pretended to be uninterested, choosing instead to conjure one of the remaining books in the room into his hand. He held it up to his face, perusing through the pages absentmindedly as he buried his nose within them. Yes, it was definitely clear that he was up to no good. It was unlike him to stay quiet for long when mischief was always on his mind—and Loki had a curiosity to match his knack for trouble. 

It only took a few moments for him to weigh his words and speak once again. “Does father’s anger have anything to do with your mortal lover?”

His green eyes twinkled as they peered over the pages. There was no denying the fact that he was itching to quench his rising curiosity. Odin had always been quite biased of Thor, and so seeing him in this predicament was quite a mystery. He wanted an answer—even if it meant that he would have to humor his ‘brother’ for the time being. It was not like he had much else to do anyway. There was nothing fun about staying silent when he had an opportunity to entertain himself.

However, instead of answering him, Thor chose to dodge the question. “I thought I had lost you once more.”

Of course, the hammer-wielding god had always been the sentimental type. He knew he was clinging to the past, but Loki was in no mood for nostalgia. He frowned, losing all interest in getting answers. He let the book in his hands drop to the floor with a thud as he stood up. His hand immediately reached down to his abdomen as he winced from the sudden shot of pain. He silently cursed everything and everyone.

Did they not have the decency to at least address his injuries before they tossed him back in here to rot? Loki could still feel the wound festering with dark magic, but with his seidr constrained it was harder to do much more than numb the pain. This would not heal easily and he hated that he would have to deal with the lingering pain that came with it. 

Thor eyed the wound, “An injury like that should have killed you.”

Yes, it should have but it had not. He had been fortunate and it was ironic considering how his luck had been running as of late. Loki chuckled. “Hel will not be embracing me so soon.”

Thor frowned as his blue eyes shifted away from the wound to Loki’s face. “A trickster cannot be so easily caught,” he mused, his words tainted with a mixture of cynicism and praise. The scorned prince said nothing in response, opting to instead return to his bed to get some rest. He had no desire to be pitied again. 

Loki sank down into bed, but not a moment later his adoptive brother finally decided to give him an answer to his earlier question. “I wish to return to Midgard,” Thor continued, “so I relinquished the throne.”

The statement would have floored Loki had he been standing, but instead, his head snapped up at him as he processed the words that had just entered his ears—and yet, they dared to call _him_ the crazy one. 

That made him angry. It was utterly maddening. No matter what he did, he was forever denied what he was promised. Every one of his actions had ended with severe consequence, and yet here was Thor. Why was he always let off so easily? He was growing angry and angrier the more he thought about it. Thor constantly chose to cast aside everything he was handed on a silver platter, while everything that dangled in front of him was always just out of reach. It was unfair. He grated his teeth with pent up rage as he willed himself not to spew those angry thoughts aloud. 

But Thor was not done speaking. “This does not mean I would forget Asgard,” he clarified, “I will still be here when they need me most, but as a protector.”

“Asgard needs a king,” Loki bit out. 

“They have our father.” 

Loki’s hand curled into fists, as he clutched the bedding under them with displeasure, “But for how long?”

“He is old, not weak,” Thor defended, though he knew that he wasn’t being completely truthful with that statement. Odin may not necessarily be weak, but he was growing weaker as more time passed. It was beginning to show. His body fell into Odinsleep at a much more frequent rate than it had a century ago. But the difference between now and then was that their mother was no longer alive to serve during his stagnation. The more frequently the All-Father fell into a slumber, the longer he seemed to spend in that state. What usually had been a few days evolved into a few weeks. A kingdom could be crushed so easily if word of the king’s condition reached their enemies. However, Thor had faith in their father and the kingdom would be okay. Perhaps, the thought was a bit selfish, but for once he was letting certainty be his guide and not his pride.

And he was certain he wanted to be with Jane.

So be it if it seemed a bit selfish of him to reject the throne. He had no real desire to be the king of Asgard when he could do so much more as a hero of the nine realms. However, who would take his place when Odin was no longer around? The thought of Loki ruling in their father’s place seemed inappropriate, especially after his actions and his treachery—this was not something Asgard needed nor wanted. What they needed right now more than ever is a protector and not some reckless king. The All-Father was truly the most suitable person for the throne regardless of his health because Thor would always stand by him to serve and defend the realm.

“You cannot protect the kingdom when you tie yourself to Midgard,” Loki interrupted his thoughts, “They don’t need protection, they need subjugation.”

“And yet you were bested by them!” Thor claimed, rising to his feet. “Your mind is so heavily warped with tradition. You are no better than father and his archaic ways.”

“Don’t you dare compare me to him. He has never been my father!” roared Loki as his nails ripped the bedding under him. His rage was unbridled and he blamed the dark magic swirling through his veins for the lack of control. It was beginning to affect him glimmer, which was threatening to fall. A part of him was tempted to let it drop so Thor could truly see him for what a monster he really was. However, he held fast to his guise as his insecurities outweighed that fury. He flung himself off the bed in anger.

Thor made no indication that he had noticed the flickering guise, but he straightened himself hastily and stood defensively in reaction to the outburst. Before he could say anything in response, the sound of clashing metal caught the attention of both brothers. 

The two of them snapped their gaze to the dungeon entrance, forgetting the argument almost entirely. They turned just in time to see the guards being knocked down or into a wall by none other than Sif and the Warriors Three.

Loki stared impassively at them as Thor looked on with a grin plastered on his face. They had come to his rescue, but this did not please the trickster. It bothered him that these warriors would stand against their king’s order and remain loyal to his son regardless of his actions. Thor had been locked in here for a reason—perhaps not a good one, but it had been a decree made by the king.

He may not see eye to eye with Odin, but he understood order.

“It must be nice to have people willing to betray their king for friendship,” Loki remarked sneeringly, before turning away. It disgusted him. They had always favored Thor to such a degree, that everyone else paled—including him. They only tolerated him because they had been raised as brothers, but now they looked upon him with unconcealed revulsion. And, of course, they were here to rescue the golden prince. 

However, he refused to be left behind when an opportunity for freedom surfaced. If they wanted to save Thor, they would have to free him too. Loki may have complained about the warriors breaking the rules, but he was used to breaking them himself. He glanced over his shoulder just in time to see them approaching the cell. 

“Thor!” Sif cried as she approached their cell. The others followed in tow, smug and pleased with the success of their plan. But their expressions dropped when they realized whom Thor was with. They paused cautiously outside of the wall, the pleasure no longer on their faces as they stared at the dark prince standing close by to their comrade. When they had first heard the news of Thor’s imprisonment, they had not calculated to find him in the same cell as the god of mischief.

But their displeasure brought a smile on Loki's face. “What a pleasure to see you all too,” he remarked, stepping forward and eyeing the four. He silently challenged them to voice their unhappiness about the predicament.

Sif was the first one to react, drawing her sword from her sheath. “I’m only pleased for an opportunity to gut you like the scoundrel you are.”

Loki’s smile grew. This was amusing. It was no surprise that he was greeted with a threat. Ever since his he had returned from Midgard, they had grown keen on threatening him every opportunity they got. 

“Sif, calm down,” Thor softly spoke, clamping a hand down onto Loki’s shoulder, “There will be no bloodshed.”

He squeezed briefly, silently urging the trickster to behave himself. “I do not wish to complicate matters any further for you all. Loki will not be a problem. He will be remaining in here just as Father has decided.”

“Yes, because we all know what a good boy he is,” Fandral stated, as he stepped forward and placed a hand against the barrier. The playboy warrior was contemplating on whether he dared to bring this wall down, as he looked upon the mischievous prince.

Loki jerked away from his hold with displeasure, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. “Excuse me? I can behave.” There was a slight paused as his eyes glazed over them. He gauged their expressions before he decided to speak once more.

It was now or nothing.

“You’re going to need my help anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to end this chapter with a cliffhanger. Promise that the next chapter is already in the works. You can begin making your speculations, but the truth will only be unveiled in due time. I don’t have much else to say, other than the fact that I have big plans for this story. Also, don’t worry about Darcy. She’ll be introduced soon. I just wanted to focus on the dynamics between Thor and Loki, because it’ll be important much later.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Set after the events of **Thor: The Dark World**.  Partially AU._  
> This is not beta’d. Any mistakes are my own. ** Revised March 2017 **

* * *

There was a fleeting moment of silence before Volstagg’s hearty laughter broke out. It did not take long before the others joined in. Loki’s expression deepened as he felt his face burn with rage and embarrassment. No one was taking his words seriously and he could feel anger bubbling deeply within him. 

“This is no jest,” his icy voice sliced through the laughter, cutting all the laughs short. They stiffened and stared at the trickster, waiting to hear what he had to add. However, Thor turned his attention to his brother with a grim and serious expression on his face.

“And yet, you know I cannot let you leave this cell.”

“Oh, but of course not. The _true_ prince can come and go as he pleases,” was the snide remark in return.

“Father has—”

“ _Enough!_ ” Loki snapped as he stepped up to stare evenly at Thor, “You speak about rules and yet you bend them to your liking? What justice is this?”

Thor exhaled heavily, before squaring his shoulders. “You cannot compare this to what you have done. You tried to kill the king! And I was simply put in here due to his unfair prejudices and you know it, Loki.” 

The trickster scoffed. That was _rich_ —Thor thought himself a saint. Perhaps, he was in comparison to all he had done, but he was not about to compare morals.

“Unfair or not, this does not change the fact you go against the king’s command,” Loki hissed back, before whipping around and clasping his hands behind his back. He threw a glance over his shoulder, silently egging Thor to protest, but the warrior remained quiet.

Thor’s expression wavered as he felt guilt hit him. Was it okay to go against his father, especially now when he was obviously ill? His jaw clenched. Regardless of those facts, it was still not right that he was being held captive for something like this. The reason was poor and he would rather speak to the king once more than sit here and wait for his father to make another move. He had promised Jane his return and he was growing quite frustrated at fighting all the elements to keep his word.

Loki closed his green eyes for a moment, before continuing to speak. “And how do you expect to leave Asgard with Heimdall at the gate? He may have turned a blind eye before, but he cannot risk treason once again. We both know this.”

“Leave Asgard?” Sif questioned. This was the first time they had heard the news of this. Fandral had failed to give them much information when the goateed warrior had found out of their friend’s imprisonment. Hogun had been the one to overhear a pair of guards exchanging the message and had turned to him with the news first and the two men had decided to wait until Volstagg and Sif returned from their mission. Odin had sent them off as soon as the Aether had been placed in their possession, wanting the relic far away from here for safekeeping. While the two had journeyed to see the Collector, Thor sought a private audience with the king. Evidently, something had gone wrong somewhere and they assumed Odin had been angry at him for disobeying his orders.

“Is it true, Thor?” Fandral asked, taking a step back from the force-field to assess his friend’s face, “Do you really plan on leaving Asgard?”

Thor pinched the bridge of his nose, slightly annoyed that he had not been the one to deliver the news himself. He shot a glare at Loki, before turning his attention to his comrades.

“Yes,” he answered, “I belong on Midgard, but Asgard will always be my home. Just because I choose to leave it, does not mean I will not still protect it.”

Sif’s brown eyes hardened upon hearing the mention of Midgard. “Is this over that mortal?” She knew how much the woman of science meant to the Asgardian hero. Thor always spoke so fondly about Jane and while it pained her to hear it, she really was no competition for a woman holding his heart. 

“No, not entirely because of Jane,” Thor licked his lips and continued, “I owe my services to all the realms. I can do more as an Avenger than I can as a king sitting upon a throne.”

The female Asgardian did not seem very pleased by his answer but said nothing more. While she approved of Thor’s wishes to protect the nine realms, she did not approve of him uprooting himself from his home. However, if this was truly what he wanted she did not want to stand in his way.

“I suppose that explains why you winded up in here,” Volstagg commented, tapping the barrier lightly with his knuckles. The wall shimmered in reaction. 

“You will not be able to reach Midgard without my assistance,” Loki suddenly chimed, tilting his head and staring at the lot coolly, “I’m the only one who knows of the hidden passages between the realms.”

Sif narrowed her eyes and drew her sword, “Then you will simply tell us.”

She pointed her weapon at him. The female warrior had always disliked the dark prince, even in their youth—she had always felt it was cowardly of him to use tricks to see things through and his lies did nothing to improve his faulty character. If she had been present in the throne room when Loki had nearly slain the king, the trickster would be dead. She refused to stand idly by and allow such wickedness to reign and she desperately wanted nothing more than to slice the rat's throat open and watch him bleed out.

The end of her sword brushed against the barrier, causing the force-field to crackle and flicker as it shot her with a bolt of magic. The small shock forced her to drop the weapon onto the stone floor and left her cursing and cradling her hand. She shot daggers up at the smirking dark prince. 

It had been very foolish of her, but she was known to have quite a temperament when it came to him. He supposed he deserved it, considering he had been the one to chop her long and beautiful blonde hair completely off when they were younger.

Loki chuckled and wagged his finger mockingly at her. “ _Silly girl_. Have you forgotten that these walls do not respond well to any contact with weapons?” he smiled and continued, “You all are truly hopeless without my knowledge.”

The female warrior snarled, ready to pounce at the barrier but Hogun held her back with his arm. It only took a moment for her to calm down, before she shot a glance over at her ally, daring him to explain himself.

“He does have a point. It is best if we take him along with us,” he expression hardened, “But with great caution.”

The Vanir warrior scowled at the disgraced prince as he released Sif from his grasp. He had always let logic dictate reason and in the case of Thor’s escape from Asgard, Loki would be needed whether they liked it or not. 

“I knew there was a reason why I always liked you, Hogun,” Loki claimed delightfully, as he turned to Fandral with a smile on his lips, “You heard him.” 

“It does not mean I agree with it,” Fandral the Dashing snapped back distastefully, before turning to the others, “We cannot just take him along like this. What is to say he will not run off as soon as he’s given the chance? He cannot be trusted.”

And they were now back to square one again, leaving Loki exasperated. He needed them right now as much as they needed him. He had no desire to stay in this Asgardian prison when he has a chance to leave. But before he can say anything in his defense, Thor speaks.

The god of thunder had been quiet for a while, mulling over the predicament they were in. It was true that Heimdall would not turn his back on the king once more, especially after he had helped them escape initially with Jane. The sentry had done more than enough for them. “We do not have much of a choice,” he shot a look at Loki, “I know you will not give up your knowledge of these passageways willingly.” 

The god of lies merely shrugged his shoulder, a mischievous smile on his face. “A trickster always has an ace up his sleeve.”

The warriors and Thor were now in a dilemma. They knew that once this wall was down, things could go south if they did not have the upper hand. But now, Loki held all the cards when it came to his brother’s faith. The king may not keep his son locked away forever, but he would never allow Thor to leave Asgard. They had been foolish to believe that Heimdall would allow them to leave just like that. He could not afford to go against the king’s word, especially after committing treason not so long ago. Odin was already displeased with the watchman. 

But there was another issue now, and that was Loki. The god of mischief would not simply stand idly by and watch Thor step out without following—even outnumbered, they did not trust him. The trickster had magic at his aide and his illusions were an annoyance to deal with. And they could not afford to draw any unwanted attention to themselves. They needed to leave soon. They were already squabbling away too much time trying to decide what to do.

The biggest problem was what would exactly happen once the two princes were free. Thor wished to leave for Midgard, but what of Loki then? He may guide the way out of Asgard, but that gave the mischief-maker the upper hand. They did not trust Loki to not bring harm upon their friend.

Volstagg’s brows furrowed contemplatively. “I have an idea,” he declared and disappeared down the hall.

* * *

Darcy Lewis had been typing out the last paragraph of research notes when Jane decided to slam her notebook down onto the coffee table.

“I knew it!” she boldly claimed, before bolting toward the flat’s rooftop and desperately seeking out the comfort of the stars above. Thor had left hours ago, but she had not been coping well since his departure. He had told her that he would be back in a few hours—that he had unresolved matters to deal with first. She was beginning to doubt that he would remain true to his word as each hour ticked by. It seemed he had broken his promise once more.

Darcy sighed, calmly placing her laptop down on the couch and following the older woman. She had been expecting this freak out earlier in the evening. She knew that Jane was not okay and would not be okay unless a certain Norse god decided to return this very moment. However, she had a sinking suspicion that he was going to be a no-show once again and Darcy was going to have to deal with the aftermath. After all, she had been the one there to help Jane overcome her feelings the first time Thor had not returned.

Erik and Ian had already bailed on them. The older scientist decided he needed a drink after everything that had happened these past few days and had gone out to the local bar. Of course, her intern decided he wanted to follow along, feeling inclined to speak and watch after the older man. While the boys were out getting inebriated, she was stuck at home dealing with all this. When she had agreed to redo her internship with Dr. Foster, she wasn’t expecting a repeat of New Mexico. She was the one really in need of a drink.

“Maybe he got caught up in space traffic?” Darcy lamely joked, trying to lighten the dampened mood. Jane merely threw a scowl over her shoulder and yanked the rooftop door open. It was evident by her face that she was in quite a mood.

“Why do I keep believing him?” Jane cried out, exasperated with everything that had gone down these past few hours. She ignored the chilly evening temperature and sank down into a lawn chair. Her eyes instantly shifted toward the night sky and she frowned. While the astrophysicist sought the comfort of the stars, it was hard to see them through the foggy London air. It was no wonder she had bailed England and moved out to America with her father when she was given the chance. She could not pursue the galaxies if everything was hidden behind a curtain of smog.

Jane’s frown deepened as she continued to stare. She was silently hoping that her questionable boyfriend would pick up on her annoyance and decide to return already. It was hard to have feelings for someone who was from another realm, especially if you had no way of contacting them. 

The young intern decided that they both needed a drink and emerged a moment later with a bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other. If they couldn’t celebrate the day, they could at least mourn over being abandoned by the Viking god—or at least Jane could, while Darcy questioned how in the hell she had nearly died in the name of science once again. 

On the bright side, her intern Ian had saved her—but the downside now was that she had sent him the absolute wrong message. She really had no interest in dating anyone right now, but that kiss she had given him apparently had made things a bit awkward between the two. It seemed he had a crush on her now. However, it would remain a crush and nothing more. She had no time to deal with boys when she was so close to finally graduating. There was only one more semester to go and then she was home free. 

Well, kind of. She didn’t feel right about abandoning Jane, even though it was nothing more than an internship. The two had bonded during their time together and while Darcy had been forced to redo her summer credits, she didn’t mind all that much. It gave her an opportunity to work with Jane once again. She may not be an actual scientist, but she did enjoy working with Dr. Foster and it seemed like a good idea to continue working with her even after the internship was over—at least until she found an actual job in political science. While she would never understand the more complex formulas and theories, she had learned a lot during her service.

And she had learned that Jane not only needed her to keep her data log in order but to also keep her sanity in check. She nudged Jane with the bottle, causing the woman to look at her before swiping it out of her grip. The petite woman was already taking a long swig as Darcy gaped in shock.

It took a moment for her to recover from what she had witnessed before she ripped the wine bottle away and scolded the older woman. “Take it easy there, Janey.”

And this was exactly why Dr. Foster needed her. She may be a stunning intellectual, but she was a mess emotionally. She needed her. Jane was obsessive when it came to things on her mind, getting so easily absorbed and invested in whatever ran in that head of hers—and right now there was no doubt she had a certain Asgardian’s name ringing repeatedly in her head.

Jane spluttered and coughed, covering her mouth with the back of her hand before sliding it up to cover her eyes. She was ashamed. “I’m so stupid.” 

“You’re not stupid. You just miss the space beefcake,” Darcy quipped as she sank down into the adjacent seat. She glanced down at the wine bottle, before deciding to take a gulp herself. The wine glasses she had brought alongside were left completely forgotten, seeing as Jane proved that her emotional side was very eerily like her own. 

Darcy made a face when the taste of the cheap wine hit her taste buds, but she decided to not express her opinion. The taste of the booze would not matter much within the hour, especially when it was being used to numb thoughts and feelings. It usually worked well enough for Darcy after a bad breakup. The young brunette cautiously handed the bottle back to her boss.

Jane’s face puckered as she took another swig and handed it back. “Technically, we aren’t even dating. I really shouldn’t be getting this worked up.”

“And yet, you both are madly in love with each other.”

Jane glared. “Not helping.”

Darcy sheepishly grinned, as she cradled the bottle between her thighs. She watched Jane sigh and pull her knees to her chest as she stared blankly ahead. The intern knew that she would not feel better any time soon. What was Thor’s excuse now? She looked up at the sky with a contemplative look on her face.

“We could try to find a wormhole to jump through. The Convergence isn’t over yet, is it?” Darcy suggested with good humor, “Maybe one will take us directly to Asgard so you can give him a piece of your mind.” 

It made Jane smile for a fleeting moment before the scientist woefully shook her head. “It isn’t that easy. We might not even end up in Asgard.”

The younger woman’s eyebrow shot up. While she had been joking, it seemed Jane had seriously contemplated doing such. She didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing but said nothing. They sat in silence for a while, exchanging the bottle back and forth between them. It didn’t take long for a buzz to hit Jane and break her down.

Her stifled sob cut through the quietness. “God, I hate men.” She sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve, “I’ve never had any luck with them. They’re all a bunch of sods.” 

Darcy would have at least chuckled over her choice of words if it weren’t for the fact that the older woman was crying. She really hated hearing Jane weep.

“What about the dude you were on a date with? He didn’t seem so bad.”

Jane blinked, wiping a stray tear away from her reddening cheek. Her brows knitted together in thought, as she contemplated the question. “Are you talking about Richard?” 

“Uh, sure.”

Darcy really had no clue what his name was, but Jane hadn’t really gone out with another man recently. It was safe to assume he was the guy. She hadn’t really bothered asking about him before because she had always been on Team Thor. While the god of thunder had broken Jane’s heart before, she had believed that he hadn’t meant to.

But doing it again? The Avenger was really forcing her to reconsider forgiving him. 

“I guess,” Jane mumbled softly, as the last of her tears ceased. She stared blankly at the more than half empty bottle on her lap. “He was nice. I could always ask him out for another date.”

“You really should,” her intern replied, hoping that this was a push toward something good. At this point, she just didn’t want Jane breaking down again. It saddened her to hear Jane crying over the alien prince.

Perhaps, alcohol had been a bad choice.

The astrophysicist suddenly seemed to be aware that it had been a poor decision, as she handed the wine back to Darcy. Jane made no more reaches for the bottle and instead the two sat in silence for a few more minutes staring out into the distance.

Jane slowly got to her feet. “I’m going to bed,” she stated softly, forcing a weak smile, “Thank you, Darcy.”

She wished her a goodnight, before leaving the younger woman to her own thoughts. The intern sighed and closed her eyes as she swished the drink in her grasp. There was not much left in the small bottle. She decided it would be best to finish the rest of it off by herself.

She hoped Jane would get over Thor, but that seemed impossible. The scientist was head-over-heels for him, to the point that she had desperately tinkered away for more than a year trying to build her very own bridge to Asgard. If that wasn’t love, she didn’t know what is. And while she was mad at Thor right now, she knew deep down that he did genuinely love her. He had, after all, appeared out of the blue when she had been in trouble. Darcy just didn’t understand why the hell he wasn’t here right now. The two really did belong with each other—call her a romantic, but they were the literal embodiment of a fairytale. But Darcy’s expression turned solemn when she remembered her suggestion to Jane. She wanted her to get over the prince, but it felt like she had just betrayed the sanctity of true love.

She sighed and found herself staring down at the empty bottle with regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is going to have some action, so it’ll take me a bit to get things sorted out. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Darcy and Jane had finally made an appearance and I plan on doing a lot more with them.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
>   * **Skáldskaparmal** ( _Sif’s Golden Hair _) - So, in Norse mythology Sif is the wife of Thor, but she was very unfaithful. She apparently slept with Loki, who decided to cut off her beautiful gold hair to show her husband that she was a cheating whore. However, due to Loki’s reputation no one believed him. Thor threatened to kill Loki if he didn’t replace her hair, and so he got the dwarves to make her new hair, except it ended up being black. [[source](http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/pre/pre05.htm)]__
>
>> _Obviously, the cinematic universe has changed the role of Sif. She’s a warrior now and while it is hinted that she has feelings for Thor, she’s not married to him. I’d like to think that Loki pulled a cruel prank on Sif in their youth and chopped off her hair, so when he tried to fix it he ended up making it worse—it ended up black and it was irreversible due to the magical properties behind the spell. Of course, Sif’s learn to embrace her hair by now but nonetheless she is still salty with Loki._
> 
> 



	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Set after the events of **Thor: The Dark World**.  Partially AU._  
> This is not beta’d. Any mistakes are my own. ** Revised March 2017 **

* * *

“Is this really necessary?” 

Loki frowned as the chains around his wrists rattled with each step he took. The warriors had decided that the only way he could accompany them would be in shackles. They were cautious, and he didn’t blame them—but it didn’t mean he liked it either. What made it worse was the fact that these enchanted manacles hindered his magic completely, leaving him in an even more irritable mood. At least in his cell, his seidr had been limited, but now he was completely helpless and utterly useless.

He grunted when he felt the sharp, reminding ache at his torso. It also did not help that without any of his magic, he could do nothing to numb the pain of his wound. He supposed he would deal with it for now, for he had suffered worse at the hands of Thanos. 

“You already know you cannot be trusted,” Fandral declared over his shoulder. The goateed warrior had chosen to walk ahead and alongside with Thor and Volstagg, while Sif and Hogun remained a few steps behind the trickster. The female Asgardian had made it quite clear earlier that she wanted to gut him—so of course, she was not at all happy that he was tagging along with them. Her hand had not once left her sheath. She was prepared to cut him down if he dared make one false step.

But Loki wasn’t dumb enough to do anything of the sort. What could he even do in this condition? The bindings were made of uru and essentially indestructible.

“I would be much more useful if I had my magic.”

“And, much more dangerous,” Thor added, glancing back at his brother, “make most of what you have now. You will be repenting for your crimes on Midgard.”

Thor had made it clear that just because he would be leaving Asgard, he wouldn’t be left unpunished. The dark-haired prince scowled, but his response died in his throat when he realizes they were no longer alone. The warriors react quickly, diving into an alcove as a pair of patrolling guards wandered into the hall. However, their swiftness is not so silent—the rattling of Loki’s chains drew the unwanted attention of the guards. The warriors cast a dirty look at their prisoner, but Loki simply stared back with an unamused look on his face. They should have listened to him, but it was too late now.

“Show yourselves,” one of the two guards bark. They all look to one another, as a cautious hand clamps over Loki’s mouth. They did not want to compromise the situation any further. The trickster exhaled heavily through his nose and shot a glare at Thor, as Fandral fumbled away from his allies in an attempt to direct the attention away from them.

“Fandral?” the Einherjar questions, “What business do you have in this corridor?”

It had been bad enough that they had been heard, but it was hard to explain why he was in the hall that led toward the vault. He tensed, his eyes resting on their tightly held weapon. He also did not know if they had heard of the princes’ breakout from the dungeons, but it seemed word had not yet reached them.

“Ah, you know,” the charming man began, wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. It was best if they thought he was having a tryst with a maiden. The pair did not seem amused. Fandral coughed. “Do you happen to know if Sif and Volstagg have returned yet?”

The change in topic confuses the guards, but before they can question it, the two mentioned warriors grab the soldiers from behind—centuries of practice made it easy for them to sneak up on even the most skilled opponent. They are quick to disengage the guards and force the blunt end of their weapons into their throats. The patrolmen could do nothing more than squirm and flail as they attempted to fight back.

However, it is too late for them. It only takes a few moments until one of the two soldiers fell to the floor unconscious. The other proved to be much more resilient, maneuvering out of the chokehold and jabbing the blunt end of his spear into Volstagg’s knee. The burly warrior yelped and dropped him, but before the Einherjar can do anything more, Fandral is quick to strike him in the face with the other sentinel’s weapon. 

They watched as the guard fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

“There they are,” he pants, dropping the spear and looking at his injured friend with a cheeky grin. Volstagg rubbed his injured knee as he threw a sour look back at him.

Thor clasped his hands onto the men’s shoulders, thanking them for their aid. They had been fortunate enough to get this far without drawing attention, but they knew they would eventually run into someone the closer they got to the trophy room.

“All this commotion over a stupid hammer,” Loki muttered disapprovingly, staring down at the elite guards. Instead of allowing him to use his magic so they could swiftly escape, he was being dragged to recover the missing weapon. The oaf had left it behind with Odin and when he had tried summoning Mjölnir, it had not come—and there would only be one reason his hammer would not return to him. There was no doubt that Odin had placed the weapon back on the pedestal it had rested on long before it had claimed Thor worthy enough to wield it. The smarter decision would be to just forget the thing and move on, but anytime Thor insisted on a matter the others followed blindly. 

And they wondered why Loki held such dislike for them. 

It didn’t help that his brother was foolish enough to think that they can walk into Odin’s trophy room unscathed. It was easy enough to get inside, but escaping it was a different story.  While it may be necessary for them to pass through the vault to escape Asgard, it did not mean Loki wanted to linger in there longer than necessary—especially with the Destroyer lurking inside. It was, after all, it’s job to protect all the stolen war artifacts and relics in there. It was a reckless decision to run into without a concrete plan, but his opinion was naught to them. 

“You know I cannot leave without Mjölnir,” Thor argued, “I’m an Avenger and I need my weapon to help keep the peace.” 

The trickster wanted to point out the irony in his words, but instead rolled his eyes and continued heading toward the doors at the end of the corridor. Just beyond those doors lay that sought out hammer. 

It was about time they got this all over and done with. “Please do continue to preach when you’re facing the Destroyer. I would love to see how it responds.”

* * *

Darcy woke up feeling like she had downed a box of cotton balls. She groaned and licked her chapped lips. Why the hell did she decide to finish the rest of the bottle by herself? Oh, right. It was because she may have just destroyed Jane and Thor’s relationship.

She covered her face with a hand as she recalled bits and pieces of last night’s conversation. The brunette only hoped that Jane had paid her logic no mind. She had been slightly inebriated and annoyed with Thor when she had suggested moving on. While it would do Jane good to at least get back into the dating scene, she hoped that if Thor did show back up that Jane would not be quick to cast him aside. As much as she hated him right now, he really was the only person capable of brightening her world. And that was saying something, considering the older woman’s first love had been science before he came tumbling from the sky. 

She glanced over at the digital clock on her side table. It was just a little after noon and she was surprised that Jane had not woken her by now. Had the astrophysicist slept in too? There was only way to find out.

The young intern forced herself out of bed and padded out of the room carefully. She poked her head into Jane’s room, only to find an unmade bed and no scientist in sight. At least the older woman had slept, but Darcy wasn’t sure just how much. She turned away and headed down the hall.

It was eerily quiet. Where was Jane? And had Erik come home last night? She answered the latter question as she emerged from the hallway and into the living room. Erik laid face down on the sofa, his pants discarded and laying in a pile on the floor nearby. She made a face and turned away quickly from the view. That was not something she wanted to see first thing she woke up. Thankfully, her eyes had turned to land on her sleeping intern who was snoring in the recliner by the window—more than likely Ian had been too wasted to stumble back to his place and had decided to crash here last night.

However, there was still no Jane around and she knew the scientist was awake. Darcy shoved her bare feet into some shoes and wandered out onto the veranda. If Jane was not inside, she had to be out here. The young woman clambered up the metal walkway to the roof and immediately was met with the sight of Dr. Foster pacing around with a device in her hands. _Typical_.

She decided not to make her presence known quite yet and instead helped herself to Jane’s mug of coffee. Some caffeine would do good for her splitting headache. However, as soon as the drink was in her mouth she began to gag on the taste.

“Darcy?” Jane asked, realizing that she was no longer alone. The woman turned her attention to her intern.

“ _Ugh_ ,” the brunette retched, “How do you screw up coffee?” Even though it had been terrible, it had certainly woken her up. The burnt flavor lingered on her tongue as she put the mug back down.

“I didn’t want to wake the boys up, so I just reheated a cup of yesterday’s batch in the microwave,” she clarified. Darcy looked at her horrified as if what she had done was a sin. But before the intern could complain, Jane continued, “But that’s not important. I think I finally figured something out with this thing.”

The older woman walked over to the makeshift table and flipped through her open binder until she found what she was looking for. Darcy leaned over to take a better peek. It wasn’t like she was going to make much sense of it anyway. She didn’t understand a lot of the scientific vocabulary and it certainly didn’t help that Jane’s penmanship was hard to decipher. 

“What am I looking at?” Darcy questioned as she squinted her eyes. Jane’s finger was pointing at some abstract sketch of the device in her other hand.

“I went back to my notes on the Einstein-Rosen Bridge and was trying to see if I can combine that data with the information we now have on the Convergence,” she paused and put the contraption down on the table, “The Convergence causes dimensional boundaries because of the way the planets align. And that had me thinking that maybe I had to tweak something here to line up with something else to get it to finally work.”

She sounded a bit exasperated as she blurted out her idea. That didn’t stop her from scribbling some quick notes in the margin and flipping through the next few pages. Jane seemed to have forgotten Darcy momentarily as she began to cross out data she now deemed worthless.

It was a bit odd. Jane was no inventor, and yet here she was trying to build a device to open her own wormhole. She had begun tinkering around with the project the moment Thor had left, but when she realized the prince was not returning she had been quick to toss the thing aside and focus on research instead. However, it seemed she was back to fidgeting with a part of a machine and trying to figure out how to bring her research to life.

Darcy blinked. “Are you…trying to make the bridge right now?” 

Jane suddenly became very sheepish, sinking down into the lawn chair behind her. “Last night had me thinking that maybe something bad might have happened. Maybe the bridge got destroyed again?” her amber eyes drifted, “I know it’s not exactly likely, but it is a probability. I figured instead of sitting around angry and moping, I can try to find answers myself.”

Darcy didn’t like the desperate tone in her voice, but she couldn’t think of anything to say to that. Part of her was glad that she hadn’t ruined their relationship, but the part of her hated hearing Jane so pitiful. While she also hoped that Thor had a good reason for not returning, but realistically what were the chances that the same bridge would be smashed once again? Jane had told her that it had been destroyed during Thor and Loki’s scuttle, but they had managed to rebuild it using the Tesseract. And it really seemed unlikely that something bad would happen now that Loki was dead.

However, Darcy kept these thoughts to herself. Instead, she picked up the mug and poured the contents onto the pavement. “So, I’m going to go and make us some fresh coffee and when I’m back we’re getting to work.” 

She could have expressed her objections, but decided that she wasn’t going to be that voice of reason—instead, she was going to ride the sinking ship. As far-fetched as things sounded, it would do Jane good to do work, rather than mope around for the next few weeks like he had the last time her alien boyfriend had ditched her.

The scientist grinned at her and Darcy couldn’t help but smile back. She was happy to see that Jane was already in better spirits and this project seemed to do more good than harm anyway.

And the young intern certainly liked when Jane was happy.

* * *

The warriors stood by the door, eyeing the heavy chains that kept Loki at bay. They found themselves in another dilemma, for the sound of his shackles had almost gotten them caught minutes ago. It would be impossible for them to walk into the vault undetected when those chains would surely make their presence known to the Destroyer.

“We can leave him behind,” Fandral suggested.

“The secret passage out of here also lies inside,” Loki revealed. While he had been very vocal about his distaste for their plan to fetch the hammer, it was necessary to go through the trophy room to leave Asgard.

Sif clasped her hand around the handle of her sword. “If that is the case, do we even need his assistance anymore?” Sif asked, her steely eyes flashing at the wayward prince. She was thirsty for his blood.

“And you act as if I’ll tell you just exactly where it is.” 

Thor stepped in front of Sif as the female warrior drew out her sword. “Be calm. You know how he is,” Thor urged her sword back and glanced over his shoulder at his adoptive brother, “We, unfortunately, need his help.” 

The dark-haired prince gave a little mock bow in response, before holding his arms out. It was about time they removed these shackles. “The more time we waste, the harder it will be to escape.” 

No one could object to that logic, for they all knew that the guards in the dungeon were more than likely up by now. It was just a matter of time before they realized where they had run off to. 

Thor turned to face Loki, narrowing his eyes as he stared at the bindings. The god of mischief rattled his shackles once more, waiting for his impending release. 

“I am not unshackling you,” Thor claimed, grabbing his younger brother’s arm instead and pulling him along as Volstagg and Hogun pushed the doors ajar, “You are to remain still by the door until I get Mjölnir back.”

Loki stumbled briefly, before allowing the blonde warrior to continue dragging him inside of the vault. They all stopped, closing the doors behind them as they looked down the large flights of steps that spiraled down deeper into the labyrinth. While the trophy room held relics of past wars, none of them were that easily accessible. It was designed to keep those who did not belong trapped here and because the two of them had ventured one too many times in their youth, they knew the twists and turns quite well. They would not get lost like any common thief would.

“Volstagg, stay with him,” Thor commanded as the others followed him down the steps. Of course, the large warrior had not objected to babysitting duty and instead turned a scrutinizing gaze onto the disgraced prince. Loki had said nothing the entire time, his expression surprisingly neutral for someone boiling inside. It had been wise of Thor to leave someone behind with him. If he had not, then nothing would have stopped him from escaping by himself and leaving the others to deal with the consequences. The chains may restrict his magic, but he would have found a way out of them the next opportunity he had.

If anything, that opportunity may come sooner than later. Thor may have been smart leaving someone to keep watch, but Volstagg had been a poor candidate. The warrior may be the oldest of the bunch, but he was also the one with the biggest heart—taking advantage of it was easy, but it was too soon to make such a move.

Instead, Loki waited and strained his ears. While he may not be able to see them, he could still hear them. They had been worried that he would cause a ruckus, but their armor was not any quieter. He could hear every clink and clank with each step they took. If they did not watch it, they would be detected in no time—and yet, he could have made things a lot easier with a few spells.

But no, they instead cast him aside and decided to do things their own way. They’ll learn soon enough for making that mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I promised action, and there was briefly some, but next chapter will have more because I had to cut back here to keep it from getting too long. Hopefully I don’t make you guys wait too long.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and thank you for all your kind comments. I really appreciate it.
> 
>   * **Uru –** ( _pronounced oo-roo_ ) – is a metal ore in the Marvel universe that is unique to Nidavellir (realm of the dwarves). It resembles stone, but it also seems to have metallic properties. It seems able to store most energies, particularly magic. [[source](http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Uru)]
>   * **The Destroyer –** it is a suit of Asgardian armor, animated by magic. It is said to be created by Odin. It is forged of an unknown metal and enchanted to be more durable than uru. [[source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destroyer_\(Thor\))]
> 

> 
> **PS:** Here is a little [cover art](http://68.media.tumblr.com/3bcc0b37233070fce8fecdb24cb4cc2d/tumblr_o4khugWOUh1rgh8hxo1_1280.png) for the story.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update was quick, but don't expect the next chapter to come as swiftly.
> 
>  _Set after the events of **Thor: The Dark World**.  Partially AU._  
> This is not beta’d. Any mistakes are my own. ** Revised March 2017 **

* * *

The trophy room was eerily quiet as Thor and his allies approached the pedestal that Mjölnir rested upon. He was relieved to find his hammer here and did not know what he would have done if they had not found it. He still could not believe that his own father had locked him up for giving up the throne. When had it become a crime? 

It mattered not anymore. He was glad to have his weapon back in his possession. His father may have placed Mjölnir back, but he was still worthy enough to wield it. The weight of the hammer felt perfect in his hand. He flexed his arm and grinned at the small victory, but they did not have time to celebrate.

Hogun suddenly jerked, craning his neck, “The Destroyer is here.”

The others froze. They had been certain they would be able to dodge the sentry’s attention, but it was no doubt that touching Mjölnir had triggered it. They heard the heavy footfalls of the armor before a bolt of energy was fired at the pedestal next to Thor. The surface shattered and debris scattered about as the iron giant finally came into view. It stood in front of the exit, it’s attention fully focused on the group. 

“What do we do?” asked Fandral lamely, as he took a step back. It was too late to simply run, especially when the beast had them trapped.

“We fight!” Thor claimed boldly as he winded his hammer. The room began to darken as electricity crackled around the weapon. He knew the chance of running away unscathed was low—and it was unlike him to stand down from an impending battle. He threw Mjölnir straight into the Destroyer’s chest, just as the others drew their weapons and charged at the thing. 

A loud boom resonated as the hammer collided with the Destroyer, but it did nothing more than push the iron beast back a few feet. The armor showed no signs of wear or damage as it straightened itself back up again. 

This was going to be a problem.

* * *

Loki did not need to strain his ears to hear the commotion happening downstairs. He knew the warriors had been detected. It had been expected. Both Volstagg and Loki heard rumbling thunder as the smell of the ozone drifted their way. There was no doubt that Thor had retrieved his hammer, but trouble had found them as consequence.

And with that consequence, came an opportunity for the trickster. His green eyes flashed, before he turned his attention fully to his former associate.

“Are you not going to help them?” Loki questioned, shackles rattling as he directed his arms towards the commotion, “What kind of friend are you?” 

His words were perfectly chosen to plant seeds of worry and anger. He knew the red-bearded Aesir would not turn a blind eye to his comrades in danger. Thor may have told him to stay behind, but the lot of them had a hero complex. They could not just stand back and not doing anything when they knew their allies were in trouble. 

And that kind of conviction, while admirable, provided him leverage that he could manipulate. Volstagg suddenly stilled, his bushy eyebrows furrowing as he looked between the former prince and the flight of steps. When the sound of thunder roared once again, is when the Asgardian caved. He cursed under his breath and dragged Loki behind him. His friends were in trouble, so it mattered not the ruckus the god of mischief’s presence caused. 

While Loki had convinced Volstagg to take him deeper into the trophy room, he had no desire to stick by side for long. His eyes shifted away from the commotion, before he was violently yanked in the direction the warrior pulled him. Once they had rounded the corner, they were immediately met with the backside of the Destroyer.

The others had been cornered, but that had not stopped the enchanted sentinel from turning its attention to them. Volstagg stumbled back, before reaching for his axe and dropping his hold on Loki’s chains. The warrior drew his arm up, but before he even had a chance to do anything else, the Destroyer fired at them and caused the two to dive separate directions to dodge the blast.

It was time to make a move. 

Loki gleefully took the chance to sprint back the path they had come, escaping into the labyrinth before the older fighter could collect himself. However, this did not go unnoticed.

“What happened to staying by the door?” Sif spat angrily as she witnessed the sly snake scurry off. She had been the first one to notice their company. Volstagg made a sound at the back of his throat as he gripped his axe. He quickly turned to give chase, leaving the others once more to deal with the bigger problem at hand. 

“May I suggest we also run,” Fandral added as he watched Volstagg bolt away. His appearance had been brief, but it had provided them a window of opportunity to brush past The Destroyer. That would be the smarter decision because they really stood no chance against it. That thing was forged from metal even more durable than uru and the hammer had not even put a single dent upon it.

“ _I refuse_!” Thor cried loudly, winding up for another toss at the armor. The Destroyer turned its full attention back onto them once more, causing the swashbuckler warrior to curse. This situation could not get any worse.

* * *

“ _Fools_ ,” Loki muttered under his breath as he rushed away from the others. The god of thunder may have faced and won against the suit of armor before, but circumstances had been different then. They were in its domain now. It would take more than just a few hits from the mighty hammer Mjölnir to knock it down.

He glanced back over his shoulder. He knew Volstagg had given chase, but he was a lot quicker than the burly warrior. The mischief-maker would not be so quickly caught. He stilled and turned at the next corner into the section he sought. He had an idea, but he was yet unsure if it was foolproof. 

Regardless, it would do him no harm to try. Loki slowly approached the casket that lay harmlessly on the pedestal before him. It looked harmless and an opportune object to pluck for a thief—but the Casket of Ancient Winters was a dangerous relic stolen from Jötunheim. It can plunge a realm into an ice age and freeze anyone who touches it. It was a dangerous tool, and yet Loki was not just anyone. 

His mood turned somber as memories flooded his vision. He had learned not too long ago what he was, but it did not mean he had accepted it. It was easier to deny it, rather than embrace the fact that he was just the monster he had been raised to fear and hate. What a cruel thing for Odin to have raised him to despise the very thing he was.

Loki’s emerald eyes glazed over as he reached down for the casket. He may not accept what he was, but at the very moment, he was grateful that it would help him. He gripped the handles firmly, as he watched his skin turn blue and frost bit at his chains. The only way to remove magic was with magic and the sheer intense cold that came from the artifact proved to be his ticket to freedom. He let out a shaky breath as he placed the relic carefully back down and snapped his frozen chains apart. He ripped the damaged manacles off his wrists without pause.

 _This was much better_.

The blue began to fade away as he rubbed his tender wrists to relieve the ache in his joints. He could feel his body beginning to respond—his body began to hum with approval as magic began coursing through his veins once again. Loki’s fingertips crackled with green energy as he flexed them with appraisal. He smirked. It was time to go and help the Asgardian oaf and his friends. 

But first, he needed to pick up a little _something_ for all his troubles.

* * *

Volstagg yelped and nearly took off Loki’s head when the trickster had phased through the wall next to him. The axe lay wedged in the surface, as Loki looked at him with a bemused expression. He had forgotten how jumpy the warrior was. The bearded man dislodged his axe from the wall with a sigh of relief. He was glad to have found Loki, but he wasn’t too pleased when he saw that the wayward prince had somehow freed himself from his chains.

“ _How_ —”

“I told you I would be much more useful with my magic,” he claimed before his body glowed green and a clone appeared next to him. He quickly sent his doppelganger ahead to draw the Destroyer’s attention before cloaking himself with an invisibility spell and following behind it. He was not shocked to see that Thor was still trying to take down the armor, while he spotted Hogun clutching a hand onto his bleeding shoulder. The wayward prince shook his head. 

“Over here!” the Loki clone cried as he ran at the Destroyer. The god of thunder stilled, shocked to see his brother free from his chains. However, he dared not say anything as he watched the sorcerer shoot a blast of energy at the sentient. It jerked angrily in reaction, but like Mjölnir did no actual damage. 

The Loki copy flashed a grin at the metal beast and spread his arms out wide. “Come now—hit me with your best shot.”

The guardian seemed to have taken the bait and focused its attention fully onto the fake. Its face began to burn a bright red, as it prepared a clear shot. While the Destroyer charged its next shot, Loki grabbed at Thor’s arm and stopped him from trying to rescue the illusion. The blonde prince was momentarily confused, as he glanced over his shoulder at the copy.

“You should have just run earlier,” Loki quipped, dragging Thor toward the now unblocked exit. Sif was not amused. She glared pointedly at him but was too occupied with aiding Hogun with his wound to say much else. There was no room to complain about the unseen rescue, but they were not out of the situation quite yet. The group quickly scurried out of the section, just as Volstagg joined them in their escape.

They heard the blast go off shortly before they felt the heat of the blast reach them, but no one stopped to pay that mind. The warriors hurried on, following Loki and Thor’s guide. It would not take long for the Destroyer to come after them, but in the meantime, they managed to put some distance.

“Quickly,” Loki hissed, hurrying them toward the direction of the secret passageway. It had been the same one he had shown the Frost Giants used during Thor’s coronation. He knew while Odin had been suspicious about how they had gotten in, no one had located the path. But, how could they? The passage was hidden by an illusion.

The group came to a halt when they reached a dead end. The trophy room lay deep under the palace, built within a cavern full of pitfalls that would certainly end in death. It made it difficult for trespassers to escape the Destroyer—so it was no surprise that they suddenly felt doomed as they looked down into the depths below them. There was nowhere to go. 

“This is a dead end,” Fandral pointed out as he stared down into the chasm. They all turned their attention onto the dark-haired prince, waiting to hear why they were led to an end. Loki smirked, drawing a hand up as stones tiles detached from the walls. They dangled in the air momentarily, before shifting and crafting a makeshift bridge across the drop.

They may have mocked his abilities in his youth, but once again he proved that they were truly helpless without his help. Thor and the others may have strength, but you needed more than that at times

Loki had already begun crossing the bridge, as the others looked at one and other warily. Thor did not seem to give it a thought and was the first one to follow behind him before the others decided it was safe to tread across as well. They had their suspicions, especially because they were still curious as to how their captive had managed to free himself of his shackles.

The other side of the chasm was a steep, cold stone ledge that they were forced to scale carefully across toward an opening they had not been there moments ago. They quickly scampered inside of it, as they watched the Destroyer emerge from the labyrinth. It paused, looking around, but the makeshift bridge that had been created was no more. That did not stop the others from hugging the far wall and waiting for the guardian to wander away. 

Loki grimaced, reminded of his suffering as he placed a hand on his stomach. He had exerted a little too much magic too quickly, but it had been thrilling to get his powers back. It felt wonderful to be able to wield what came naturally to him once again. His magic was as important to him as Mjölnir was to Thor, but the others would never understand that.

He glanced over his shoulder as he wandered further into the passageway. The others were quick to follow, trailing behind him in silence. They were too afraid to say anything, just in case it drew the attention of the sentinel.

However, it was clear that they would be safe for now.

* * *

It had only been a few minutes before Hogun slumped against the wall with a heavy groan. His hand clutched weakly at the wound on his shoulder as he barred his teeth in agony. His injury had looked deceptively minor, but the bleeding had yet to stop and the burn he suffered was agonizing to bear.

Everyone stopped, turning their attention onto their comrade. Loki paused but kept his gaze ahead and down the path. Jötunheim was still some distance away, but the atmosphere had begun to grow colder the more they traveled. They were not conditions an injured warrior would fare well in.

“That looks bad,” Volstagg pointed out, examining the Vanir combatant’s injury. The skin was charred and blood was still pouring from it regardless of the pressure being applied to it. He needed a healer. His light armor had not done much to protect him frost the hot blast, but it had been enough to save him from losing the appendage. He may still end up losing it if he did not get treated soon.

Hogun ground his teeth and leaned his head back against the cool stone. “Leave me.”

“That is not an option,” Sif stated. She turned her head to look to the trickster, “How much farther until we are out of here?”

“I doubt the Frost Giants will help us,” Loki stated, finally informing the others just where they were headed to. Their faces grew pale at the realization, as they looked at each other.

Fandral turned to the younger. “Then perhaps, you can help him.” 

But, he could not. He may possess a strong affinity for magic, but he had always been mediocre when it came to healing magic. If he had been any better, he would have solved his own trauma earlier. He peered momentarily down at his abdomen before looking upon his childhood friend. The wound he had was at least contained to one place, but he could do nothing more than slow the bleeding and numb the pain.

The Vanir warrior was not thrilled with the prospect of help from the god of mischief. His hand shifted to the mace at his hip as he looked up. “No,” he muttered, peeling himself away from the wall. 

Loki said nothing. He knew he was not trusted, but he was not about to beg him to allow him to help. He did not care. He turned and began to walk away. “If that’s the case, let us keep moving.”

However, the others did not move causing Loki to stop. He watched Thor unclasp his red cape and toss it to Sif, who was hovering around Hogun with concern.

“That should help stop the bleeding at least,” Thor grimly stated before turning his attention to Loki, “Surely, you must know another way to Midgard. We cannot afford crossing paths with the Jötunns.”

““The others can turn back now. The Destroyer should be quiet now, especially if they head straight for the exit,” the god of mischief offered as he stepped away from them. He was annoyed. None of this would have happened if they had just simply listened to him, but instead, they decided to do things their own way. Loki knew they did not trust him, but he thought they would at least be smart enough to know what mattered most right now was getting out of Asgard. He would not jeopardize the situation, especially when his own plans called for his escape. 

The blonde-haired warrior made a disgruntled sound at the back of his throat as he looked to his comrades. There was no denying that Loki had a point—his cape was doing little to help Hogun. His wounds needed medical aid before it worsened. It was his fault that his friend had even gotten injured. The warrior had dived in to take the blow that was originally meant for him. 

And now he owed his friend. “Loki is right,” he begrudgingly admitted, “It would be best for you to turn back now before they pin you down for any more crimes other than breaking us free.” 

He knew Odin would punish them, but one crime was different than multiple. If they went back now, they could avoid being pinned for helping them escape Asgard. The All-Father may punish them, but at least Hogun would get treated for his injuries and the others would not have to suffer trekking through Jötunheim. It was clear the best chance they had right now would be to part ways.

Sif was glaring at Loki, but the mischief-maker had long looked away from them. He was still listening but was more concerned with himself right now and why his own injury was bothering him even now.

“But we cannot leave you with him,” the female Asgardian clarified as she peeled her eyes way from Loki and back to Hogun. The mace-wielder remained quiet, too focused on pressing the cloth to his shoulder in order to stop the bleeding. He didn’t dare say anything, even though he knew he needed a healer. 

“I will be fine,” Thor placed a hand on her shoulder and tilted his toward his brother, “He did save us back there. There is no reason why he would choose to kill me now.” 

Loki blinked, surprised that for once, Thor was using common sense. It was true. If he truly had wanted Thor dead, he would not have bothered saving him from the Destroyer. He could have escaped Asgard alone and left the others to perish in the vault. He peered over his shoulder, before turning fully around to face the others. They were all assessing him with weary eyes, but it was evident that his adoptive brother’s words had been heard. They nodded their heads in agreement, as Volstagg wrapped an arm around Hogun for support. The trickster watched them exchange kind words between one and other.

Thor wished them good fortune, as they turned away. No one dared to say anything to Loki—instead, they threw one final glance in his direction before heading back toward the entrance of the passageway. 

Something bitter ticked the back of his throat. It stopped him from saying anything to them, but it was not like they deserved to hear anything from him. He was not about to remind them of everything he had done to help them get here and he certainly wasn’t going to be the one to be there to help them make it back. It was no longer his concern. They would have to take the longer route back and scale the ledge around the vault—it was how the Frost Giants managed to do it and he was certain they would figure it out for themselves.

Plus, it wasn’t like they cared to listen to anything he said anyway.

Thor and Loki both stood still, watching the warriors retreat. It only took a few moments, but once they were out of view Thor finally turned his gaze back to his brother.

The god of thunder clapped a hand onto his younger brother’s shoulder. “Let us be off then,” he urged, causing Loki to shrug his hand off with annoyance. He did not know how else to feel right now. The others had set him off with their dismissal of him—was he not even worth a thank you? They may consider him an enemy now, but they had been friends once upon a time ago. So why had he always been treated like dirt? 

He had saved them and yet, it seemed like it mattered not. He wasn’t Thor, but he was clearly reminded of whom he was to them. They had managed to leave him with the sensation of self-loathing scratching at his gut. He walked past Thor without a word, wanting to put some distance between them.

It was unfortunate that there was still so much walking to do—but it was a good thing he was the god of lies and had long convinced himself that he’d be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was somewhat a long one, but there is still so much to go.
> 
> Anyway, thank you to everyone reading and thank you for all of you who have given me feedback. I appreciate it very much!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone had a great weekend!
> 
>  _Set after the events of **Thor: The Dark World**.  Partially AU._  
> This is not beta’d. Any mistakes are my own. ** Revised March 2017 **

* * *

Time moved slowly as the brothers ventured through the passage. The path began turning narrow the further they progressed, but it was expected. It was a road that almost no one knew of, considering the branches of Yggdrasil were hidden well. Loki had made finding them into a hobby when he was young, searching for them when he was rejected from the company of the others. He could not compete with their strength and was cast aside to do things on his own. It was an irony that something he had begun looking for because of the warriors’ dismissal had turned to help them all.

These secret paths were hidden well and visible to only those who understood the magic behind them. They were illusions and only someone that understood that knew how to use their seidr to reveal them. His magic relied on his seidr, and his abilities grew as his seidr strengthened. He knew he was a powerful sorcerer, but now he was quite drained and aching from overusing his talents. His wounds were not healing as they should and he did not know if he should say anything about it.

Thor had only spoken a few words to him, but Loki wanted nothing but silence for now. He was still in a sour mood after departing from the others, but now his attention was focusing to his inflictions. He needed on mending his them before they worsened. He may have managed to successfully stop the bleeding hours ago, he knew that wound was infected with dark elven magic. However, he was finding it difficult to deal with when he felt so weary. He knew it was partially his fault for overexerting himself, but he also knew the foreign magic was feeding on his seidr.

Loki did not want to stop and look at the condition of his abdomen, but he feared if he did nothing now it would not end well. Thor may be determined to get to Midgard, but there was no way they would get there anytime soon and not under these conditions. It would take a few days to travel all the way to Midgard, especially when they would first need to trek through the frosty conditions of Jötunheim first. The next branch of Yggdrasil was located here and while Loki could not remember the exact location of it, he knew that it lay on the tallest spire. He would have to locate it with his magic when they drew nearer. However, that would certainly be problematic if he were to fall unconscious—he would doom them both.

The trickster stopped, feeling the frigid air that whipped at his hair. They were very close to the end of the path. Once they stepped out from here, they would be met with miles of ice and snow and he was in no way ready to face any of that in this condition. His seidr needed replenishing, but the corruption running through his veins was making it difficult for that to happen. They were going to need his magic if they were to survive the wintery conditions of Jötunheim. 

While Loki knew that he would fair fine against the cold, the same could not be said of Thor. The Asgardian warrior would freeze to his death within hours if he ventured out dressed the way he was. His armor would do nothing to keep him warm. Loki knew he would have to conjure them both something to wear, but he could not afford to do so right now—it required more magic that he currently had to spend. He had already burned enough of it to get to this point, especially now that he could feel the parasitic effects of the foreign magic on his seidr. If he did not stop and fix this now, all their efforts to escape Asgard would have been for naught.

Loki brushed past Thor, stopping to sit on a large flat rock. He winced as he stretched his legs. “We need to rest.”

“I will rest when I reach Midgard,” Thor stated as he continued forth.

“Unless you want to freeze to death, you will do as I say,” Loki curtly informs him as he shoves his vest off his shoulders.

“Are you not able to conjure us warmth?” Thor challenges, pausing to look at his brother. Loki did not answer him and instead yanked his shirt up to get a good look at his festering wound. The thunder god grimaced, finally seeing just what Kurse had done to him.

The area had begun to corrode with pus and something black. His brows furrowed with concern. “Are you in pain?”

“I’ve felt worse,” Loki grimly mused as he brushed his fingers carefully around the laceration. It was bad. He had allowed the foreign substance to linger far too long and it had begun to seep into his seidr. He would need to remove the dark magic before it possibly killed him. His brows knitted together, as his fingers grazed cautiously across the infected flesh. He could not believe he did not detect this earlier, but he could definitely feel the veins of dark energy beginning to flare out from it. It had been unwise of him to use so much of his magic earlier when it was crucial for him now.

He barred his teeth as he forced his fingers into the wound, reopening the injury and watching it began to ooze blood and something else entirely. It was too late to make things easier for himself when it had progressed to this level. He carefully pulled his fingers away and clamped the palm of his hand over the area before shifting to hover just over it. Thor watched with morbid fascination as black strings of energy began to slowly ooze from him.

“Perhaps it was unwise to leave Asgard in your condition.”

“It is not like anything would have been done about this,” Loki bit back sourly as he focused his attention on the task at hand. If they had wanted to care for him, they would not have been so quick to toss him into the dungeons. They did not allow him the luxury of treatment, considering he had almost killed the All-Father. He had deserved it for his crimes, however, at this moment he really wished his remedial magic was stronger than it was. It would make the matter less painful and a lot quicker. 

He frowned. It had not been this bad before and if he knew it would worsen to this degree he would have dealt with it earlier He supposed he was fortunate enough to catch it now before the dark eleven matter become impossible to expunge from his body. 

The ice crunched under Thor’s footsteps as the god of thunder settled down across from his brother. He would have to wait, which did not anger him but left him feeling anxious. He had broken his word to Jane, though he was determined to make amends for that as soon as he was back on Midgard. 

He crossed his arms in a feeble attempt to keep warm as he watched Loki work. It was unfortunate that their path to Earth was through Jötunheim. It was a terrible realm, made of ice and stone—it may be cold here, but it would only be colder out there. He wished he could make the current situation better, but there was no kindling in sight to start a fire. There was nothing but a damp and cold atmosphere.

He frowned. It did not help that he was also growing hungry, but now was not the time to complain. He knew things would only worsen the further they traveled and he could bear with the conditions for now.

* * *

“Are we expecting anyone?’ Darcy asked as she craned her neck at the sound of the ringing doorbell. It had only been a few minutes since they had finished dinner and she had settled down to watch TV.

“Not that I know of,” Erik answered without prying his eyes from the computer screen. The older man had perched himself at the desk as soon as he had finished his meal. He was busy trying to get all the data he had collected these past few days together now that he was no longer stuck in a mental ward. He had spent the entirety of dinner discussing his research with Jane as they bounced ideas back and forth.

Darcy knitted her brows together. She doubted that Jane would run off to shower if she was expecting company.

“Should I get it?” Ian asked as he pulled the dishwashing gloves off. He had been stuck with cleaning duty for the evening after his boss had snaked her way out of it.

“Please,” Darcy added sweetly as she peered over the couch and watched her intern head downstairs to see who was at the front door. Not even two minutes later, he was back with a bespectacled bald man in a suit. 

“Agent Sitwell?” Erik was the first one to ask as he finally looked up from the computer. It took Darcy a moment to recall the agent, but she remembered he had been the one to accompany Coulson back in New Mexico. What had they done now? It had been months since she’d seen any of the men in black. The last time she had dealt with S.H.I.E.L.D., they had come to swoop Jane and her to a safe house in Norway during Loki’s invasion of Earth.

The old scientist turned in his seat. “Is everything alright?”

“Is Miss Foster around?” Sitwell asked as he inspected the room. 

Darcy sprang to her feet. “I’ll go get her.” She had no idea what they wanted with Jane, but she figured she could at least give her a heads up about the situation. Darcy scampered down the hall and straight for Jane’s room. 

When she entered the astrophysicist’s room, she found Jane sitting on her bed and drying her hair. She had already put on her sleepwear, but that did not stop her from eyeing the open journal on her lap. However, she had looked up the moment Darcy stumbled in. 

“There is an agent standing in your mom’s living room,” Darcy chimes in before Jane can say anything. 

The scientist gawked, having failed to hear the doorbell. “What?”

“Yeah. And he wants to speak with you.”

Jane scowled as she felt her mood turn sour. She shook the journal off her lap and tossed the towel angrily down on the bed as she rose to her feet. “What the hell do they want now?”

They may have given her back the research they took, but Jane still held a strong grudge against them all. She held an even stronger distaste for them when they had forced her to Tromsø as if she was a damsel in distress. 

“I’m not sure,” Darcy muttered as she followed closely behind. She was just as at loss as to why a SH.I.E.L.D. agent had shown up out of the blue. Maybe they had news on Thor?

When they finally returned to the living room, the agent was nowhere to be seen. He had stepped outside onto the veranda. Sitwell stood with his back to them as he spoke to someone on his cell.

“He said he needed to make a call,” Ian clarified.

“Did he tell you anything?” Jane asked Erik as she began to move her recent paperwork into a folder and shoved them into the desk drawer. There was no way she would let them run off with her data again. 

Dr. Selvig shook his head as he got up. He figured it would be smart of him to get some pants on with company over. As soon as Erik had stepped away from the desk, Darcy made a beeline for the empty computer. She stood over the keyboard and turned to look at Ian, “What about you? Did he say anything to you?”

“He just asked for my name and then said he needed to make a call.” 

They probably had not known about him until now, but it was still a mystery as to why the agent had shown up, to begin with. Darcy frowned and began copying data onto a flash drive.

“There is no need to look so flustered,” Sitwell stated as he returned from outside. They paused, raising their head at the approaching man. They had not heard his reentrance.

“I’m here with an offer.” 

Jane straightened her posture and stared at the agent. “Offer?” 

She is not sure if she wants to hear what anyone from S.H.I.E.L.D. has got to say, given the history between them. They had earned no points when they had done nothing to help Erik with the underlying issues that he had retained under their care. If they had not recruited Erik, he would not be an insane right now.

“I’m certain you’re all aware of what has happened here these past few days,” Sitwell declared as he began to clean his glasses, “we saw you help Thor stop the attack on Greenwich.” 

“ _And_? Get to your point,” Darcy huffed. She was just as done with them as Jane was and she hadn’t even heard what he had to say yet either.

“I’m getting there, Miss Lewis,” he calmly said, reaching a hand into his inside pocket and drawing out a manila envelope. He passed it to Jane as Dr. Selvig returned wearing pants “That contains all the information you need, but to get to the point,” he threw Darcy a glance before looking back at Jane, “S.H.I.E.L.D. is requesting your services.” 

“With what?” Jane asked as she pulled documents out of the envelope. Both Darcy and Erik glanced over her shoulder as Ian parked himself on the couch. He was confused about what was going on, but it did not seem like the opportune time to ask questions.

“We are aware that you have been working on and off on a device to reach Asgard. We are simply requesting that you continue that project, but expand on the idea to make a bridge connecting not only Asgard but other worlds as well,” Sitwell continued, “It had become a rising concern that Earth is constantly being invaded and yet we are not able to the same because we lack the technology to do so.”

Jane made a face at him, before looking through the documents in her hands. Her eyes skimmed over the text disinterestedly until she spotted the equipment she would be provided. She flipped to the next paper and her eyes lit up when she saw the funds she would be given for the project Darcy had to do a double-take when she saw the amount herself. She had never seen so many zeroes.

However, where would this leave her? 

Before she even dared to ask, Sitwell answered her. “We are aware of your working relationship with Dr. Foster and are willing to give you a paid position as her lab assistant. The only setback is that you will not be able to return to Culver anytime soon.”

“You know, I’m fine with that,” Darcy announced. She could always finish off the last semester with online courses. She didn’t have much else left to finish and she would need a job after graduation. It just seemed like a good opportunity for a stable job.

“And just so you are aware, you both will be transferred to New York,” Sitwell added as he held out a pen for them, “I just need you to sign those papers in agreement. You are welcome to keep the copies.”

“What do you mean ‘both’?” Erik is the one to ask as he pulled his reading glasses off.

“I’m sorry Dr. Selvig, but due to your current instability, it would be best for you to continue getting some rest. We will keep in touch with you, but we will not be contacting you for any of your services,” the agent revealed. He glanced over at Ian, “And unfortunately, Mr. Boothby, your services will not be necessary. We do, however, appreciate all you have done to help keep London safe.”

Ian’s face flushed with embarrassment before he nodded his head in understanding. “That’s alright.”

But Darcy couldn’t help but feel bad that she was going to have to let her intern go. However, it probably was for the best. He wasn’t quite cut out for this line of work, especially because she had literally forced him into the role, to begin with. He did earn props for tagging along with them and for giving her space after she had sucked his face off. She had feared that he would act upon his crush on her, but he hadn’t. She was glad the spur of the moment decision had not affected his sensibility.

Jane looked to Erik, ready to argue with Sitwell on the older scientist’s behalf but he was already nodding his head in agreement as he placed a hand on his colleague’s shoulder. “I seriously do need a vacation, Jane. I know you came here because I asked you to, but now you have a chance for something better.”

Darcy agreed. This was the first time that S.H.I.E.L.D. had turned to Jane for help, as opposed to treating her like a maiden in need of aid. They had been quick to scoop her up and hide her from Loki’s rampage, but she was more than just Thor’s girl. In fact, Erik knew just how resourceful and smart she was. He had been the one to reach out to Jane to help him chase down an anomaly he had been tracking for the past few weeks. Darcy had been fortunate enough to have begun her second internship under Dr. Foster shortly before the request and thus had accompanied her to London as her aide.

But now, there was a bigger opportunity and Darcy was beginning to weigh her options—it would be best to finish the continue working with Jane, especially now that she had received a paid position through S.H.I.E.L.D. Jane could not afford to pay her otherwise, so this was a golden chance for her to land a paying job and finish her degree with one stone.

“So, when are we leaving?” Darcy is the first one to ask, as Jane moved to the dining table to look over the documents carefully. She did not blame her for being so suspicious.

“We can have you two flying to New York by tomorrow evening if you’d like. However, we can always arrange for a different day. We just need you in the city by Tuesday morning.”

“That still doesn’t leave me much time to sort things out,” Jane claimed, perking her head up, “That’s two days. My mother is not coming back from Spain for another few days and she’ll kill me if I leave without saying goodbye.”

“Margaret already knows the drill,” Erik reasoned, “She may have divorced your father for being so invested in his work, but she is more forgiving of her own daughter.”

Jane frowned. “That doesn’t help.”

Erik shrugged as he watched Agent Sitwell slide into the seat next to Jane. He handed her a pen and pointed to the documents that needed signing. The scientist seemed hesitant but signed anyway before they began discussing traveling plans.

Meanwhile, Darcy sank down next to Ian on the couch. She knew she would eventually need to sign something, but for now, she watched the others huddle around the dining room table. She sighed and rested her head against her intern’s shoulder and patted his knee affectionately, “I’m sorry, but I guess this means I’m going to have to let you go, bud.”

“You’re implying that I agreed to be your intern, to begin with,” he coyly muttered as he glanced at her hand on his knee, “But I am going to miss you, Darcy.” 

“I know,” she playfully stated, “But I guess I’ll miss you too.” She gave him a one-armed hug before getting up to join the others at the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some aspects of this chapter were boring, but some casual interaction is needed to work on character dynamics and relations. While I do feel bad for Ian, he does not fit in any of my plans so I must give him the boot. Stay tuned, because next stop is Jötunheim!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be coming soon.
> 
>   * **Yggdrasil –** ( _pronounced ee-drasil_ ) – is the tree of life and the branches stretches out over all the nine worlds in Norse Mythology. [[source](http://norse-mythology.net/yggdrasil-in-norse-mythology/)]
>
>> _Alright, so my take on this is that it is not a literal tree, but a metaphorical one. The branches of Yggdrasil are pathways that connect realms to one another and they’re scattered throughout the nine realms. Most of them, if not all, are hidden by magic. I found this reasoning to be the most logical considering we got a taste of Loki’s knowledge of secret paths when he delivered them to Svartalfheim. I do not believe the Convergence is a result of it because that only occurs every five thousand years and Loki was born just over a century ago._
> 
>   * **Agent Jasper Sitwell –** he is a senior agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. He has made an appearance by this point in _Thor_ and _The Avengers_ and has also appeared in two Marvel shorts: _The Consultant_ and _Item 47_. [[source](http://agentsofshield.wikia.com/wiki/Jasper_Sitwell)]
>   * **Margaret Foster –** ( _original character _) – [Fancast:[Julianne Moore](http://i.imgur.com/U2OrFp6.jpg)] – **_This is my headcanon._** Jane is English, but only lived in England during her childhood. Jane’s mother, who is a botanist for Kew Gardens in London. Jane’s parents divorced when she was 6 years old and she lived with her mom until the age of 11. It was then that she decided to move out to the U.S. to live with her dad and pursue her studies in astrophysics like him. Jane went on to study at Culver University at the age of 16 (canon). This is where her father worked and met Erik (also canon). Margaret is currently on vacation in Spain and has lent out her place to her daughter to stay.__
> 



	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, I been a writing machine these past few days. Been working on all the fics, but some have progressed more than others—but be on the look out for updates. They will be coming!
> 
>  _Set after the events of **Thor: The Dark World**.  Partially AU._  
> This is not beta’d. Any mistakes are my own. ** Revised March 2017 **

* * *

Thor and Loki shielded their eyes from the harsh winds as they slowly trudged through the heavy snow. It was the middle of a winter solstice and the usual frigid conditions of Jötunheim were severely worse during this time of the year—but they had no choice on this matter, for they needed to cross the snowy terrain to reach the next branch to Midgard. Loki had done his best to conjure enough furs and thick cloth to keep them shielded from the harsh weather conditions, but the snow was proving to be a challenge. The weight of their protective gear slowed them even more in the harsh storm.

It had been about two whole days since they had begun traversing through the landscape, but not much progress had been made with their journey when blizzards forced them to repeatedly seek shelter.

They may be considered gods by some, but even they could freeze to death under these conditions. While Loki was faring much better than his adoptive brother, that did not mean he was okay. His injury still bothered him and the growing hunger did nothing to alleviate their suffering. He figured Thor was just as hungry as he was because neither had eaten since they had departed from Asgard. Unfortunately, it would be a while until they even ate, but they have gone long lengths of time without food before.  Loki estimated that at the speed they were going, it would take them another day to reach the next passageway.

But Thor was eager to get to the realm as soon as possible even though Loki was much more eager to stay alive. He may want to push on, but the trickster had no desire to drag a frozen god of thunder through the icy realm when he was barely able to keep going himself.

His footsteps slowed as he glanced over his shoulder at his adoptive brother. The blonde Asgardian’s lower face was buried into the thick mane of his coat and he was bracing himself with each step against the violent winds. Loki frowned and muttered a warming spell under his breath.

He knew he should not be using his magic right now, especially when his seidr was so battered. Loki had put too much strain on his body these past few days and that the minor spell was making him feel light-headed already. He frowned. It had taken too much out of him to conjure their furs, especially when hours before that he had spent his time removing the dark residue from his body. Neither one of them had been pleased to have spent so much time in the cavern, but least his wound was no longer infected. But he needed it properly looked at by someone who understood healing magic better than he did. 

However, they needed to get out of Jötunheim first and for that to happen he would need some energy to locate the hidden branch once they drew closer. The passageway lay somewhere near the peak of the spire, but as they continued through the steep path the winds grew harsher and the snow fell heavier.

Loki shielded his eyes as he peered around for another cavern to crawl into—there really was no point trying to fight the growing storm. It would only get worst and he knew that they could not handle much more of this. When he spotted an opening in the glacier rocks, he grabbed his adoptive brother by the side of his coat and dragged him toward it.

Thor grumbles something to him, but it is hard to make sense of his words against the sounds of the howling winds. When the two ducked their way into the hollow passage, the air stilled around them and they huffed with exhaustion. The sounds of the storm could be heard from behind them as they slowly made their way to the back of the frozen cavern.

“Why bother using a warming spell if we were going to stop?” Thor huffed as he pulled the fur down to speak clearly. His nose was red and his blue eyes glistened in the dim light as he rubbed his hands together for warmth.

Loki was surprised that Thor had noticed the spell. “You looked in dire need of it,” he answered as he smoothed his hands over the furs. His coat was not as thick as Thor’s, but he found that it wasn’t necessary. It may be cold, but it did not bother him as badly, especially now that he knew he had been born in this realm.

The last time they had dared to come to Jötunheim it had been during the spring solstice and these turbulent conditions had not been present. It had been much easier to walk through the snowy and icy landscapes when Thor had taken them here to confront the Frost Giants.

His eyes darted over his own hands. It was then he had realized that his life had been a lie and since then all he could see was the blue skin that lay under. He despised it and could not help but use his magic to hide his reality.  It had become instinctive of him to pretend to be an Aesir and that would not change even with the truth.

Thor watched Loki examine his exposed hands. If he had noticed the creeping blue flesh, he had said nothing and instead he averted his gaze to the cave entrance. The storm was beginning to pick up and the wailing sounds of the wind were beginning to grow louder with each passing moment. It seemed they were going to be stuck in here for a while. He only hoped that the snow would not trap them and force them to carve their way out later. 

He licked his chapped lips as he rubbed the side of his beard with one hand. This was not the first time the two were forced to trek through the realm, but they certainly never were around during the middle of a winter solstice.

It was terrible. If it were not for Loki, he knew he would have frozen to death hours ago. However, he was hungry and his hunger was beginning to claw at his stomach. If he had known their voyage would be this long, he would have brought food along. He scowled, his agitation was growing with each passing second and he was doing his best to keep it at bay before he said or did something he would regret.

He just needed to get back to Midgard and then this trip would be behind them.

But he was still confused as to why his brother was helping him. He knew Loki could have left him at any given time—so why was he still here? The trickster sought freedom and yet was following him to another sentence. He didn’t understand, but he was grateful. Perhaps, all hope was not lost for him. The god of thunder felt like some of that faith had been restored. 

Thor closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the frozen rock. He was feeling much warmer now that he was out of the storm and could feel the full effects of the spell Loki had cast upon them. The coat he had on felt warm to the touch and he found himself absentmindedly stroking the collar.

“We are not far from the next branch,” Loki stated as he shifted in his seat. His gaze was glued to the exit, but his mind seemed elsewhere. He let his fingers stray across his abdomen—he may have fixed the infection, but that did not mean his wound was healed. That would still take some time considering the condition it had been in. A part of him was tempted to check on it once again, but he decided against it. There was nothing more than he could do to speed up the healing process. He just needed to make sure he didn’t tear it open again.

“Will we be in Midgard by tomorrow?”

“If the blizzard allows us, then yes.”

Thor nodded his head in understanding before he rested it back against the wall. He hoped this storm let up soon—the faster they got out of this cavern the quicker he can return to Jane.

* * *

Darcy yawned as she entered her new room. Her luggage lay haphazardly on the floor, the contents spilling out from it in disarray. They had arrived in New York a few hours ago, so she hadn’t had the time to properly unpack yet. It had been a busy morning and they had spent most their time walking around the new workplace. An agent had shown them around the facility while she had laid down the ground rules to them.

The place was fairly extensive, but they didn’t have clearance to many parts of it. She had learned right off the bat that everything operated via keycard and it was important that she kept it on her at all times.

She fiddled with the plastic in her hand as she glanced down at her photo. They had literally taken the same picture she had on her driver’s license, which was the most unflattering photograph they could have used. However, that did not bother her as much as the level of clearance she had been given—which was essentially nothing. It gave her access to her room, the lab, and Jane’s office. Darcy assumed it probably granted her access to some faculty rooms, but other than that everything else was off limits. She frowned. It was unfair, but she was just an assistant. It just disappointed her that she could not go exploring. 

However, there was a silver lining to the whole situation and that was the fact that she would be getting paid well. She had been absolutely thrilled when she saw just how much S.H.I.E.L.D. was willing to fork over to help pay off her student loans.

Darcy yawned once more, before kicking her sneakers off and wandering over to the bathroom. The room she had been given was on the small side, but at least it had everything she needed. It definitely beat rooming in a dorm.

It still felt weird being here. Her history with the suits had not been so fantastic and yet she had been quick to take a job offered by them. She may still be working with Jane, but technically she was an employee of S.H.I.E.L.D. She knew in the long run, that would come to matter to her. But for now, she was officially Jane’s assistant and was going to help her finally build that bridge to Asgard.

Their research may not have given much fruition, but now they had new equipment to tinker around with and new data to reference. Jane had taken everything she had on the Convergence and was in the process of calculating several formulas to try out. The machine she had built needed refining and they both would need to learn more about inventing if they were to bring those attempts to life.

But they would have time talk and work tomorrow. S.H.I.E.L.D. had given them the rest of the day to get settled in. They both had had a chance to look at the lab, which was stocked with everything Jane had requested. Darcy knew that the scientist was just as excited as her to no longer be crammed in a makeshift greenhouse lab any longer.

* * *

Loki didn’t know how long he had been sleeping for, but when he finally awoke he realized the blizzard outside had hushed to a light flurry. He shifted, stretching his muscles as he glanced over at Thor. He was not surprised to find that his adoptive brother had also fallen asleep—that warming spell had made things relatively cozy for them and given them an opportunity to get some needed rest.

The trickster didn’t know how much further the passageway was, but he knew it lay nearby. He may have never used it himself, but he could still detect its magical signature. It was a large branch that split into three realms—Jötunheim, Midgard, and Alfheim, and he had discovered one end of that limb in Alfheim when he was a child.

It was fortunate that he could recall the path he had not taken yet. It would be problematic if there were any more hiccups in their journey. Thor had already begun to show signs of anxiety and it would not be long until that turned into aggression. The warrior was desperate to reach Midgard already and see his mortal lover.

He still didn’t understand how a human could stir such devotion out of the Asgardian prince. It did not make sense to him, but he was not going to press into those matters—it was no longer his concern. If Thor wanted to forfeit the crown for a woman, so be it. Odin would learn that he had made a poor decision when selecting his heir.

Loki’s eyes darkened as he stared at his slumbering companion with hooded eyes. Thor had always been favored and fortunate. He remembered growing up in his shadow, always trying desperately to gain the affections of their father. However, try as he might he never could compete and it was not until more than a year ago he found out the reason why.

The king of Asgard could not love a monster like him.

And yet, Loki still seemed to care for his adoptive father. He may try and deny it, but his recent imprisonment was a testament of that. His failure had literally been a result of him failing to plunge his dagger into the king—and it had resulted with him being tossed back in a dungeon to rot.

It seemed everything he did was meant to end with an unfortunate end. He was doomed to always fail, but he refused to accept it. He was not going to allow faith to dictate his life. It was time for him to take matters into his own hands—Thor had provided him an opportune chance for freedom and he had clung to it. He refused to let it go to waste. 

He nudged his sleeping brother. It was time to move now that the storm had died down.

His sleeping brother woke up grumbling. “We need to move,” Loki informed him as he rose to his feet and adjusted his coat. The weather may be better now, but this realm was not known to be a hospitable environment.

It took Thor a moment to gather himself before the two began making their way out to the snow-covered entrance. The blizzard had done a number on it. The two gods began to shovel the snow aside and carefully crawled their way out of the cavern. The heavy storm had stopped, but the snow continued to fall in thin flurries. It was much more manageable than the blizzard that had been raging hours before and they found it was easier to traverse down their path—but ice and frozen rock seemed to stretch on for what seemed for miles.

Thor sniffed and rubbed his nose. “What are we looking for?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Loki answered, causing the thunder god to pause and glance over his shoulder at him.

 “You’re not sure?” 

Loki narrowed his eyes. He did not like the tone of voice he was given. “I will know when we are there. I can sense the branch further up ahead.”

Thor scoffed. “And what if it’s not that? What if we have been walking through this miserable realm for naught?”

“Are you going to really question everything _now_?” Loki angrily hissed. The two stared each other down—the tension slowly began to trickle into the air. Thor’s impatience was growing as his agitation grew.

“There is clearly nothing in sight!” Thor yelled as he motioned to their surroundings with his arms. He was beginning to doubt putting any faith in Loki. What if he planned to deliver him to the Frost Giants? It was unlikely, but certainly possible. Before Loki could answer him, the ground quivers and shakes—leave it to Thor to set off an avalanche with his loud voice.

They both stopped and braced themselves, expecting to see snow beginning to tumble down from the rocks overhead but nothing came. Instead, a burly, blue arm shot out from the ground between them and they scrambled back in reaction.

“What—” Thor manages to yelp before the thing burst from the ground sending snow flying in all directions.

The two of them scampered further away in an attempt to distance themselves from the behemoth that had emerged. Whatever it was, it was evident that they had disturbed it. It stood carefully on its haunches, before slowly rising to its full height. The creature towered over them, standing at least thirty feet tall. They craned their necks back and stared up at the monstrosity with both awe and horror. What the hell is that _thing_? 

“Who dares wake, Ymir?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, next chapter is going to be a doozy. Stay tuned!
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and giving me feedback. You guys are awesome.
> 
>   * **Ymir –** ( _pronounced ee-meer_ ) – “scream” – is a hermaphroditic giant and the first creature to come into being in Norse creation narrative. [[source](http://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/giants/ymir/)] Ymir was the oldest and most powerful of the Frost Giants. [[source](http://marvelcinematicuniverse.wikia.com/wiki/Ymir)]
>
>> _I am applying a lot of the characteristics ‘he’ has from the Thor: God of Thunder videogame with hints of mythology and Marvel comic traits. If you’d like a visual of him, I think[this image](http://i.imgur.com/x7XPvxs.jpg) is a pretty good idea of what I envision him looking like._
> 
> 



	9. Notice!

Hey there! I wanted to inform anyone who is still holding out for an update for this that I'm in the process of giving it an overhaul. More than likely, ~~I'll probably delete this version when the times comes~~ (I ended up keeping it up just so I can refer back to it for comparisons and see my mistakes) and post a new one in the upcoming weeks (maybe around Christmas or New Years?) once I have more content ready. Right now, I was in the process of editing scenes and refining the overall storyline. I'm so sorry for anyone who has been waiting for an update. This story just requires more work than my others, mainly because it has been planned out to be a long one from the start. And I really want to do it right.

 

 

Again, thank you for all the feedback received thus far. I really appreciate it! Be on the look out for a new version. I'll be deleting this one shortly before I post the new one.


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